MemphisFlyer 03/20/2025

Madness!

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Madness!

e

The Goddess Archetype

PHOTO: KOBYLINSK | PEXELS

THE fly-by

MEM ernet

Memphis on the internet.

PLAYIN’

Entrepreneur and community organizer Keedran Franklin was straight up playing on Facebook last week. Over several Facebook posts, he pumped up what would be a huge announcement. Announcement time came, and his sound cut out. It le many laughing and many more like this from Arlen Dewayne Berry. Franklin had still not revealed his big announcement as of press time.

A CANNABIS REQUEST

“Can y’all not smoke a crap load of weed and then hang out at the zoo around kids?” asked u/criticalmonsterparty over in the Memphis subreddit. “I’m not hating on anyone’s personal preferences, but there was two distinct smells at the zoo today — animal poop and weed.”

SEEING DOUBLE

e subreddit was also enamored with a glorious double rainbow that appeared over the city last week.

TROPHIES

{WEEK THAT WAS

By Flyer staff

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

Real Estate, Groceries, &

Mud Island

A limit on corporate buying, ending the sales tax, and a pop-up concert series canceled (for now).

REAL ESTATE LIMITS

A new bill would limit how many homes big corporations can purchase in Tennessee.

Senator Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) and Representative A yn Behn (D-Nashville) introduced the “Homes Not Hedge Funds Act” to tackle the in uence of out-of-state investors and real estate corporations on the housing market.

With it, corporate investors would not be able to purchase more than 100 single-family homes in counties with more than 150,000 people for rental purposes. According to lawmakers, these areas are a ected the most by “corporate real estate speculation.”

“When corporate landlords control too much of our housing stock, working-class families lose out,” Behn said in a statement. “ is bill sets a clear boundary to keep communities stable and homeownership attainable.”

According to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, the state’s housing cost index is at a 10-year high. O cials said this has resulted in the median purchase price doubling.

Oliver added that families are not able to attain homeownership because investors are “buying up entire neighborhoods and turning them into rental properties.”

e bill acknowledges this and notes that these corporations lower home supply, driving up the costs for potential buyers.

“Owning a home is one of the most reliable ways to build wealth, and this bill ensures that more working families have a fair shot at the American Dream,” Oliver said.

MUD ISLAND SERIES CANCELED

A concert series scheduled at the Mud Island Amphitheater for April was canceled due to structural safety concerns but the groups behind the series promised to keep pushing.

e Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) and Save the Amphitheater (STA) announced e Comeback Concert Series for Mud Island on April 18th to 20th. It was canceled last week a er a statement from the city’s interim Chief Operating O cer Antonio Adams said it would be “irresponsible” for the city to ignore the venue’s dangerous conditions, citing a “ nancial risk to the city and taxpayers.”

e groups posted a letter online from a structural engineer who deemed the amphitheater to be “structurally sound and safe.”

“We will continue to work with the mayor’s o ce to ensure that we can have concerts there in the near future,” said Jerred Price, DNA president and founder of STA.

AXE THE GROCERY TAX

Lawmakers are continuing work to repeal the state’s grocery tax with bills introduced in the legislature.

Tennessee is one of 10 states, including Alabama and Mississippi, that are looking to take away the grocery tax.

In 2024, the state was recognized by the Tax Foundation as having one of the highest grocery taxes in the nation at 4 percent. According to a scal review by the Tennessee General Assembly, the average local sales tax is estimated to be 2.5 percent. Memphis’ current sales tax is 2.75 percent, meaning local shoppers pay 6.75 percent.

A bill by Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) would remove fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables from being included in sales tax. Another bill from Republicans would reduce the tax to 2.75 percent.

A bill by Behn would eliminate the sales tax from groceries and raise taxes on corporations to make up for the lost revenue.

“For too long, our state has sided with billionaires and big businesses,” said Senator Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville), the bill’s Senate sponsor. “We need to stop giving a break to corporations and start investing in our communities.”

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

DEWAYNE BERRY

PHOTO: COURTESY SAVE MUD ISLAND AND THE AMPHITHEATER

e Comeback Concert Series, scheduled for April at the Mud Island Amphitheater, has been canceled due to structural safety concerns.

‘Mad as Hell’ { CITY

REPORTER

By Kailynn Johnson

Memphis Area Transit Authority leaders riled on previous team’s sketchy purchases, masking bad performance data, and more.

The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) leadership contributed to a majority of missed trips last year by removing routes from its published schedule. Interim CEO and TransPro consultant John Lewis called the move a “deliberate” decision by previous management to “mask service cuts from the public.” O cials said the schedule deletions had been going on “as far back as April of last year [2024].”

“We knew we weren’t delivering 20 percent of the published schedule,” an o cial said during the March 7th board of commissioners meeting.

With customer satisfaction being touted as a priority, o cials are now working to improve their on-time performance (OTP). ey reported 64 percent of buses arrived “between one minute early and ve minutes late” in January 2025.

“So they were giving false information to the customers?”

ose numbers exclude the 29 percent of missed trips — which the agency said are trips that were never completed. Leadership said for the schedule to be “executed,” drivers were able to pick their routes, but MATA leadership took 20 percent of the rides o of the published schedule.

“Even in a universe where we have buses and spares and operators we know are ready and willing to drive,

we could not have delivered that because those weren’t available routes to drive,” the o cial said. “We never had a chance to perform them.”

Lewis added that any schedule changes are subject to board approval.

“I’m mad as hell a er hearing this,”

Commissioner Cynthia Bailey said. “So, all this time they were violating and had the customers acting [an] ass here, it was their fault, or it never came out? So they were giving false information to the customers? I’m mad as hell.”

Lewis said they are “pursuing consequences” to the individuals who had knowledge of the schedule changes, and they are further investigating the issue.

“I have long stated that MATA had a priority problem and MATA was [more] concerned about the administration than the ridership,” said Johnnie Mosley, founding chairman of Citizens for Better Service. “Memphis must demand that MATA do right by bus riders. Bus riders have su ered too long as a result of lack of leadership.”

One of the key points o cials have tried to improve is the city’s trust in MATA — speci cally as stewards of public funds. Leadership pointed to a September 2024 survey of 388 Memphians in which only 26 percent of responders said they deemed the agency trustworthy of taxpayers’ dollars.

“Over time, and with proper nancial governance and transparency, the team will strive to improve the community’s faith in MATA,” o cials said during a presentation at the meeting.

Lewis said TransPro performed a “preliminary review of FY24 General Administrative expenses,” which

showed that out of $9.9 million, $848,000 was spent in discretionary spending. is included $603,000 in sponsorship of the Memphis Grizzlies and $144,000 in “other Amex purchases.”

O cials said this did not include charges for travel and meetings.

“We asked for detailed statements of that, had to do some digging with American Express — the agency at the time did not have itemized monthly bills, which was not a best practice to say the least,” Lewis said. “A er we received itemized statements going back the last couple of years, we found within those purchases seemingly non-business-related purchases.”

Lewis said these included $5,000

in payments via PayPal and Venmo, $7,000 in purchases at Best Buy, $10,000 in party equipment rental, $30,000 in customizable purchases, and $1,200 in Montblanc purchases to name a few.

“ ese don’t seem to be necessarily transit related,” Lewis said.

Lewis said he brought this spending to the attention of the city auditor, and as a result the state comptroller has been notified. Lewis and his team have been advised to seek outside counsel for a more thorough investigation.

e former leadership member that had possession of the Amex card has been placed on administrative leave, o cials said.

PHOTO: JUSTIN FOX BURKS

MATA o cials spent $603,000 on a Grizzlies sponsorship.

March Madness

e Democrats need to get in the

Every year I play in an online pool to predict the outcome of the NCAA basketball tournament, aka March Madness. It’s made up of longtime friends who are scattered all over the country and who communicate for the most part via social media. It’s become a rite of spring for a lot of us, with good-natured smack talk being the main attraction.

We use a CBS Sports platform, and for some of us the hardest part is remembering our password every 12 months. Well, that and trying to guess who’s going to take that pivotal rst-round game between, say, Siena and Northeast Idaho. And for me, there’s also the dilemma of predicting how far the Memphis Tigers will go — a delicate balancing act that pits my hometown rooting interest against years of painful experience. A Penny (Hardaway) for my thoughts.

Voice of America is the only news that isn’t controlled by autocratic governments. NPR and PBS news services have long been considered the gold standard for fact-based, in-depth reporting. e U.S. government shouldn’t be in the business of suppressing its own media. e First Amendment still means something. Or at least, it did until a month ago, when this administration decided that it would begin hand-selecting the reporters allowed in the press pool to ask questions of the president.

e tournament is a particularly timely distraction this year. at’s because the daily news is just delivering one plopload of angst a er another. I went online Sunday morning and read the following headlines: “Arlington Cemetery Website Scrubs Links About Black and Female Veterans”; “Trump’s FCC Chief Orders Investigation into NPR and PBS Sponsorships”; “Trump Signs Order to Gut Sta at Voice of America and Other U.S.-funded Media Organizations”; “Trump’s NIH Cuts reaten Scienti c and Medical Research at U.S. Universities.”

So yeah, just let me ponder that pivotal West Bracket matchup between Maryland and Grand Canyon for a while. Maryland’s pretty good, but Grand Canyon is deep, heh, and it’s tough to beat a national park. Or it used to be until they got defunded. Sorry, I’m just trying not to go crazy thinking about the frightening idiocracy that’s now dismantling our government piece by piece.

is administration’s credo appears to be “Knowledge Is the Enemy of the People.” Or maybe it’s “ ey Can’t Handle the Truth.” In many areas of the world,

If knowledge is power, then power is being taken away from us at an alarming pace. And, let’s be blunt, we’re all being put in danger by the reductions in funding and personnel at agencies that provide air tra c control, weather prognostication and warnings, and medical and scienti c research. Not to mention the emotional stress being imposed on millions of Americans who depend on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and their 401(k) funds. It’s important to understand that all of these decisions are being made by executive orders that are mostly being carried out by an unsupervised, unrestrained, and unelected creep with billions of dollars in con icts of interest between his own businesses and federal subsidies. It’s unconstitutional, and none of it is being opposed by Congress, which is constitutionally designated to restrain the excesses of the executive branch.

It goes without saying that the Republicans in Washington are all in the tank for Trump, but the fact that the Democrats are so numbingly compliant is really troubling. ey appear to be as vested in accommodating this autocratic insanity as the Vichy French collaborators were in World War II. It makes you wonder just how much kompromat Putin has. Is everyone in Washington compromised except Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Liz Cheney? Where is the damn anger?

I’m no James Carville, but I play one in this column and I have a message for the Democratic Party: Get your shit together. My suggestion would be to set up a daily evening press conference in which a rotating cast of the party’s stalwarts (not Schumer, Je ries, or Pelosi) addresses the news of the day, takes on the latest lunacy enacted by the White House, explains the real-life consequences of it for everyday Americans, and yes, expresses the outrage that millions of us are feeling right now. It’s time for the opposing party to get in the game — and take some shots.

PREACHING SERIES & WAFFLE SHOP ATCALVARY LENT

MARCH 6 - APRIL 11

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INTO ROUTINES

PHOTO: EVGENIYA LEONOVA | DREAMSTIME.COM

It’s all madness.

game.

POLITICS

By

Jackson Baker

Fallout

e mystery of Ricky Floyd’s killing provokes a heated interchange.

In a scenario occasioned by the tragic shooting death this past week of revered pastor Ricky Floyd, two prominent members of the Memphis political community found themselves at loggerheads.

e two were Javier “Jay” Bailey, CAO in the o ce of Assessor Melvin Burgess and newly announced candidate for assessor to succeed his term-limited boss, and Antonio “Two-Shay” Parkinson, inuential state representative from District 98 in North Memphis and longtime chair of the legislature’s Black Caucus.

ere was already a certain amount of bad blood between the two as a result of what Parkinson felt was an innuendo from Bailey that he had sided with the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) board in the ring of former schools Superintendent Marie Feagins. But the dispute rose to incendiary dimensions when Bailey chose to comment on the Floyd killing on his Facebook page.

His commentary began with a seemingly uncontroversial sentiment: “Pastor Ricky Floyd was my friend. I am absolutely saddened by his death and this community will su er the loss of a great man concerned about more than himself.”

comments and likes are about to feel real stupid now.”

Between the two of them, these Facebook posts generated several hundred responses from Facebook perusers, who exploded with expletives, high emotion, and every conceivable surmise as to the fatal confrontation between Floyd and Marion — the cause of which remains mysterious as of this writing.

e killing of Floyd was mourned among every social stratum of his home city, and especially among the members of Memphis’ African-American population, where the reverend was increasingly regarded as someone between a hero and a saint.

Bailey would continue with an admonition for people to avoid passing judgment on Floyd’s accused slayer Samantha Marion, who was arrested for shooting Floyd a er the two quarreled outside a South Memphis restaurant and bar in the early hours of Wednesday, March 12th.

“[L]et us take caution and not turn this sister into a villain or a demon,” Bailey wrote. “ ere are facts that most of you have not heard.” Although Bailey did not go on to divulge any “facts” per se, he seemed to Parkinson to be implying that the quarrel and the shooting stemmed from the existence of a prior relationship between Floyd and Marion, who was charged with manslaughter in his death.

at was enough to enrage Parkinson, well-known to be close to the deceased minister and his partner in many a public activism. In a Facebook post of his own, Parkinson noted that follow-up investigation appeared to show that Floyd and Marion had not known each other and wrote: “Many people who claimed to be Ricky Floyd[’s] friend, like Javier Bailey and others, that was posting for clout,

Nor were the denizens of the state’s General Assembly una ected when the late pastor was honored with a moment of silence on the House oor.

e heated interchange between Parkinson and Bailey was in a sense just another symptom of the toll and human dimensions of the drama.

A commemoration of the Reverend Floyd, under the heading “Celebration Service,” will be held at Greater Imani Church on Austin Peay on the morning of Friday, March 28th, with visitation on the preceding date at R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home.

• e aforementioned Marie Feagins a air and this week’s showdown in the General Assembly on a proposed state takeover of the MSCS school board were footnoted during Monday’s meeting of the Shelby County Commission in a suggestion by Commissioner Shante Avant that the commission’s vote several weeks ago of “no con dence” in the board had been an in uence in the introduction of the takeover legislation.

PHOTO: PURSUIT OF GOD CHURCH MEMPHIS | FACEBOOK Pastor Ricky Floyd

POLITICS By Alex Greene

Snyder’s Call to Action

The author of On Tyranny will speak about his latest book, On Freedom, at Rhodes College.

Timothy Snyder is more than a teacher, and more than the Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University: He has been a reliable public voice of reason, critique, and perspective since before the first Trump regime. Now, his latest work, On Freedom, approaches our current politics from a more personal and philosophical perspective. Ahead of his upcoming appearance at Rhodes College, Snyder shared his thoughts about the current political landscape.

Memphis Flyer: In your new book, you speak of the “labor of freedom.” Is our deep immersion in entertainment media hobbling our ability to do that work?

Timothy Snyder: Freedom is something that you have to work for. We’d like to think that freedom can be given to us by the ancestors, the Constitution, capitalism, American exceptionalism, history. But if it’s given, it’s not freedom. And worse, anybody who tells you a story about how it’s given is drawing you into authoritarianism.

Freedom isn’t just an absence of constraints. It’s about becoming yourself. It’s about acting as the unpredictable, unique person you are and changing the world in a way that only you can change it. And freedom always has to be something that we do together.

… So it follows that if we train our brains to be stimulated all the time, to be entertained all the time, then we’re not training ourselves for freedom. We’re training ourselves to think that everything’s going to come to us.

A lot of folks are saying, “Well, the Democrats should do more.” … [But] it’s really down to the citizens. It’s down to the citizens to organize creatively, to create more opportunities for elected officials.

Do you have any case studies that might apply to Memphis, as we’re currently coping with Elon Musk’s Colossus supercomputer?

Musk is an extreme case of people who look for unregulated environments where they’ll be able to do whatever they want. … He has a big name and a big reputation and all that, but pretty much all of his businesses are tanking right now. And so the idea that this is some kind of surefire investment, I think, is unclear.

And … this is a person who’s assisting in a drastic attempt to carry out regime change in the United States.

I don’t think one can just ignore that basic fact because you’re then choosing to bring to Memphis all of the consequences of that, right? … If you decide to bring him to your county or your city, you’re bringing that, too, with all the consequences of that, forever.

The rhetoric of race is a political force that seems to dovetail with your concepts of “sadopopulism” and “the politics of eternity.” Could you elaborate on those terms with regard to racial politics?

By sadopopulism, I mean a politics which is trading not in goods, but in pain. A populist might make promises … saying the government can do something for you. A sadopopulist is saying the government won’t really do anything for you, but our inaction is going to hurt other people more than it’s going to hurt you. And I think that captures a lot of American life. …

By the politics of eternity, I mean the idea that there isn’t really a future, and that therefore we should be concentrating on a time when the country was innocent. … In America, that’s a kind of white utopia. It’s the notion that 100 years ago, only the white people ran everything, and everything was better then, we weren’t troubled then, we didn’t have troubled consciences. We didn’t have to think about things then, and everything worked then. And of course, none of those propositions are actually true.

I guess the great irony is, you know, people like Elon Musk are always going on about the future.

I think the notion of bringing apartheid to the whole solar system is probably not actually going to happen. But what they’ve done is they’ve basically colonized the future, right? Instead of there being a kind of everyday, all-American future, we have instead these stupid ideas: Let’s go to Mars, let’s live forever, right? And those things are completely implausible, and they won’t happen, but they take up the space of the future. They’re like these polluted clouds that fill the air, so we can’t see our way to actually possible futures, which are out there. Timothy Snyder will give his lecture, “On Freedom and Just Habits of Mind,” at Rhodes College’s McNeill Concert Hall on Sunday, March 30th, at 3 p.m., sponsored by the Spence Wilson Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities. Registration is required. Visit rhodes.edu/wilson for details.

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Madness!

The Memphis Tigers return to the Big Dance as AAC champions.

COVER STORY

By Frank Murtaugh

PHOTOGRAPHS By Wes Hale

The Memphis Tigers are back in the NCAA tournament. is is progress. Even better would be a pair of wins and the program’s rst trip to the Sweet 16 in well over a decade. But let’s think ambitiously. With six wins needed to cut down the nets as national champion, here are six factors that could make this March memorable for Memphis.

Forget history, especially the previous six seasons. With the exception of forward Nicholas Jourdain, Penny Hardaway’s rst six years as Tiger coach mean absolutely nothing to the current roster. e Wiseman A air. e Lost Postseason of 2020. e Missed Timeout against FAU in the 2023 NCAA tournament. And (blech) the Nosedive of 2024. Sure, this is Tiger basketball history, but it cannot so much as enter the brainwaves of the last man on the Memphis bench.

Following the Tigers’ seasonopening win over Missouri way back in November, PJ Haggerty (new to the

program from Tulsa) emphasized the good chemistry he felt with his new teammates, actually emphasizing “no beef,” no tension between players just establishing their roles. Guard Tyrese Hunter (new to the program from Texas and this season a rst-team

All-AAC selection) said this Memphis team has “no ego,” that he and his teammates have “blinders on” for a shared mission.

Read between those lines and you recognize the a er-e ects of a 202324 season where egos were indeed a variable, where a beef or two seemed to compromise any mission, let alone that of a deep NCAA tournament run. ree weeks a er that opening win, the Tigers beat both Connecticut (the two-time defending national champions) and Michigan State in Maui to more than clean the slate for a new team, a new campaign. e slogan for the 2024-25 Memphis Tigers should be … is is now. What can today bring?

When asked about his current team and a strength that can help it succeed

in tournament play, the 2025 AAC Coach of the Year doesn’t hesitate: “Our unity. We all have the same goal. It hasn’t been that way around here in past years. It’s been kind of sel sh. Some people have been so good, they felt they could do it on their own. With this group, our biggest attribute is our unity. We’re together as one.”

“These guys care. They want to come back and do better [after an off game].” – Penny Hardaway

Stars must star. While the players must keep those blinders on, we can turn to history for some guidance in what to expect when the Madness tips o . And every Final Four run the Memphis Tigers have made has featured a Leading Man: Larry Finch

in 1973, Keith Lee in 1985, and Chris Douglas-Roberts or Derrick Rose (take your pick) in 2008. A sophomore sensation by the name of Hardaway took the Tigers to the Elite Eight in 1992. You get the idea.

PJ Haggerty is this team’s alpha, and he will need to seize that role — maybe even in ate it — for the Tigers to reach the Sweet 16 for the rst time in 16 years. e AAC Player of the Year is already just the seventh Memphis player to score 700 points in a season. (He needs 22 to break Dajuan Wagner’s program record of 762.) Haggerty scored 13 points in six minutes to fuel a second-half comeback at UAB on March 2nd that essentially clinched the AAC title for the Tigers. He poured in 42 in the AAC tournament quarter nals, a win over Wichita State in which his teammates combined to score 41.

“He’s a dreamer,” says Hardaway. “He sat home and watched the NCAA tournament when he was young, like we all have. To have this situation now — ranked the number-one shooting

In his seventh season at the helm, Penny Hardaway led the Tigers to a 16-2 league record and earned AAC Coach of the Year honors.

guard in the country, conference player of the year — he’s still dreaming. He may have hoped for all this to happen, but now that it’s actually here, he’s excited.”

Dainja! Dainja!! FedExForum announcer Geo Mack found his muse with the arrival of Dain Dainja. e Tigers’ big man with so hands (a transfer from Illinois) has o en raised the arena’s energy level with a gentle hook shot or follow-up slam. And when that energy peaks, Mack will bellow into his microphone, “DAINJA! … DAINJA!!” It’s the happiest reaction to something, yes, dangerous we’ll witness near a basketball court.

Hardaway inserted Dainja into the Tigers’ starting lineup for their showdown with UAB on January 26th, a game that would determine rst place in the American Athletic Conference. Dainja hit 10 of 12 shots and pulled down eight rebounds in only 25 minutes of what proved to be an easy (100-77) Memphis victory. Memphis has only lost one game since.

How critical is Dainja to a deep run for the Tigers? He and Moussa Cisse are the only “bigs” Hardaway has in his rotation, the closest players — in body and style — to an old-fashioned center. ey will be needed to protect the rim on the defensive side and provide interior threats (particularly Dainja) when the Tigers have the ball. Pay attention to fouls for either of these players. And expect Hardaway to leave them on the oor even if they accumulate four. “Going small” might be a strategy, but not when it’s forced.

Dainja vanished in a game at Wichita State on February 16th (four points and a single rebound in 20 minutes of playing time), and the Tigers lost in overtime to a very beatable Shockers team. A week later at FedExForum, Dainja (Dainja!) scored 22 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and blocked four shots in a 19-point victory over FAU. “It shows me that he cares,” said Hardaway a er Dainja’s resurrection against the Owls. “ ese guys care. ey want to come back and do better [a er an o game]. He knew he let himself down [against Wichita State]. He has so much pride and he came back hungrier.”

As for the now of it all, Dainja — yet another rst-team All-AAC honoree — actually mentioned “getting old” a er the Tigers beat Temple last month. (He’s 22.) His basketball life is about winning. e busier Dainja nds himself this postseason, the more danger Memphis opponents will experience.

Clean the glass. ere’s one unifying thread when you examine the Tigers’

continued on page 12

SWEET

LITTLE 16?

Memphis has reached the second weekend of the NCAA tournament 10 times since seeding began in 1979. Here are the years, and the seed the Tigers earned that season:

1982 = 2

1983 = 4

1984 = 6

1985 = 2

1992 = 6

1995 = 6

2006 = 1

2007 = 2

2008 = 1

2009 = 2

Point guard Tyrese Hunter su ered an injury to his le foot in the AAC semi nals. His status for the NCAA tournament is unclear.

Dain Dainja tops the Tigers in rebounding and earned rst-team All-AAC recognition.

continued from page 11

five losses this season: more rebounds by their opponent. If you consider every rebound an extra chance to score, Temple had 24 more opportunities (49-25) in the Owls’ seven-point win in January. That ugly loss at Wichita State? The Shockers pulled down 54 rebounds to the Tigers’ 45.

Memphis is not a big team. Dainja, Cisse, and Jourdain will be trusted with much of the rebounding responsibility, but smaller players — Haggerty and Colby Rogers, to name two starters — must earn a few extra possessions for the Tigers to win the close games to come. And beware foul trouble for the 6’9” Dainja or the 6’11” Cisse. Losing either for an extended stretch would force Hardaway to play “small ball,” and against the wrong opponent, that can go sideways fast.

“Once Dain gets going,” notes Hardaway, “you have to double-team him. And we can tee up threes; we love that advantage. He’s bought into the role we have for him. He knew Moussa was coming and didn’t know how much time he would get. We need him to score, so we make him comfortable.” If the Tigers are to advance this month, they need Dainja to rebound, too.

UAB that helped seal the Tigers’ biggest win in conference play. His averages of 6.4 points per game and 5.6 rebounds are mere whispers of his value. Depth is an overrated factor for a 40-minute basketball game, but a surprise performance is always welcome. One or two can shift that precious margin for victory in the right direction.

Embrace the unlikely. Hardaway is associated with the number 1, and for obvious reasons. But the retired jersey number below his name that has hung from the rafters above the Tigers’ court for 30 years now is … 25. Could such a celebrated-but-forgotten pair of digits be an omen for a 2025 tournament run under Coach Hardaway’s watch?

Consider that these Tigers won the first AAC regular-season crown in program history. This was not predicted back in November. (UAB was picked to win.) These Tigers climbed to a ranking of 14th in the AP poll, the highest Memphis has been ranked after Valentine’s Day since 2009 (John Calipari’s last season as head coach). This was not predicted back in November, as the Tigers began the season outside the Top 25. These Tigers have nabbed a 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. Also not predicted, and how significant, you ask? Memphis has reached the Sweet 16 ten times since seeding began in 1979, but never seeded lower than sixth (see sidebar)

Unheralded hero. Or two. The margin between victory and defeat in the NCAA tournament is miniscule. Three years ago, in the second round, the Tigers led the top-ranked team in the country (Gonzaga) at halftime, only to stumble in the second half. Two years ago, had an official granted the Tigers the late-game timeout players requested during a scramble, it may have been Memphis (and not FAU) that advanced to the Final Four.

Remember that win over Connecticut last November? The Tigers found themselves going to overtime against the second-ranked team in the country, but with Haggerty having fouled out. Into the spotlight strides another PJ, last name Carter. The UTSA transfer proceeded to make six consecutive free throws and drain a three-pointer to all but personally deliver a season-changing upset to his new team.

“They want to be champions. They’ve come together and bonded. They’ve set out on a mission.”

– Penny Hardaway

Haggerty and Dainja must have a productive supporting cast for Memphis to advance in the Big Dance. Will Carter be the one to grab some national attention off the bench? Maybe it will be Rogers, at times a longdistance threat (and others virtually invisible). If the current Tigers have a “glue guy,” it’s Jourdain, the lone veteran, now wrapping up his second season under Hardaway. The senior has started every game this season after starting 25 upon his arrival from Temple for the 2023-24 campaign. Jourdain had a pair of late put-backs at

As for the crucible of NCAA tournament play, consider the Tigers’ record this season away from FedExForum: 16-3. Not only have they won an ocean away from home (Maui), but they’ve won at Clemson, at Virginia, at Tulane, and at UAB, smaller arenas packed with crowds loudly rooting against their success. This Memphis team may encounter an opponent with more talent, maybe more luck. But it’s hard to imagine the Tigers being intimidated by what’s to come with all the madness.

“They want to be champions,” emphasizes Hardaway. “They’ve come together and bonded. They’ve set out on a mission, and they’re not letting anything distract them. We’ve had a couple of bad games in conference, but these guys are locked in. They’re together. That’s why we’re so resilient.” Seeded 5th in the West Region, Memphis (29-5) opens play on Friday in Seattle against Colorado State (25-9).

THURSDAY

MARCH 20

CYRENA WAGES 7:30PM WITH SPECIAL GUEST THE OWEN GOOCH BAND

FRIDAY

MARCH 21

PLAY SOME SKYNYRD 6PM AREA 51 9:30PM

SATURDAY

MARCH 22

BASKETCASE 5PM AQUANET 9PM

SUNDAY

MARCH 23

DRAG BRUNCH 12PM LANDSLIDE- A TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC 5PM

THURSDAY

MARCH 27

ALIVE AT LAFAYETTE'S SERIES: MEMPHIS MUSIC SERIES FEATURING THE SCOTT SUDBURY BAND 7PM

FRIDAY

MARCH 28

RICE DREWRY COLLECTIVE 6PM TWIN SOUL 9PM

SATURDAY

MARCH 29

CODY CLARK 5PM SEEING RED 9PM

SUNDAY

MARCH 30

JOE RESTIVO 4 12PM THE LOST 45'S 5PM

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Puerto Rican Night

Get a taste of Puerto Rico this Saturday as Darts Productions puts on Memphis’ rst-ever Puerto Rican Night, complete with music, dance, and authentic cuisine.

“We’re trying to bring awareness of all the communities in the area,” says Nilka Quiros with the event production company Darts Productions. “ is is the second type of festival that we’ve done. e rst one was a Colombian Night [in October 2024]. … e response was phenomenal in the Memphis area. We really weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but the community responded very well. It was just a great opportunity for everybody to get together and just have fun and educate.”

Quiros hopes Puerto Rican Night will bring the same response. Darts Productions also plans to put on more festivals like these in honor of other Spanish-speaking countries.

By Abigail Morici

For Puerto Rican Night, Sari, a Memphis-based singer from Puerto Rico, will perform, as will the Richmond, Virginia-based Tradición Cultural Dance Company, who will present a traditional Puerto Rican dance. e theater collective Agua, Sol y Sereno is also traveling from Puerto Rico to bring an “unforgettable performance,” including a mask parade. Earlier this week, they hosted community workshops making vejigante masks, used during the island’s local festivities.

Plus, there will be food from Puerto Rican vendors and merchandise available for purchase. “For us Puerto Ricans, because I’m Puerto Rican, we don’t have really a whole lot of Puerto Rican restaurants here [in Memphis],” Quiros says, “and we don’t have a lot of Puerto Rican performances here, so to get somebody from Puerto Rico and food and things like that, that’s pretty cool.”

Puerto Rican Night is free to attend. “Anybody that wants to come can come,” Quiros says. “It’s just been a night to have fun.”

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES March 20th - 26th

3rd Annual Studiohouse Open House at Studiohouse on Malvern Studiohouse on Malvern, 418 Malvern Street, Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m.- 11 p.m.

Artists Mary Jo Karimnia and Keiko Gonzalez will open their studio to the public for a daylong, drop-in event that will include art installations and pop-up performances by musical guest Blueshi Ensemble at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. ere will be light snacks and a signature cocktail will be served by local bartender Brooke Lever. e Studiohouse on Malvern is an independent arts workspace owned and operated by local artist Karimnia and Bolivia-based Gonzalez. ey purchased the property in 2019 as a workspace for themselves and other occasional guest artists, musicians, and designers. e space is home to the Front Porch Window Gallery.

Battle of the Birds Exhibition Game

AutoZone Park, 198 Union Avenue, Monday, March 24, 6:15 p.m., $23+ e St. Louis Cardinals are coming to AutoZone Park to take on the Memphis Redbirds. is thrilling event marks the nal exhibition game before the regular season begins. Get tickets at tinyurl.com/53kzhwu5.

15th Annual Memphis Monologues

Voices of the South, 1000 South Cooper, Tuesday, March 25, 7 p.m., $25 Memphis women will tell real, personal stories. Some will be funny, some upli ing, some sad, some eye-opening. e evening will celebrate the female experience, the human experience, and the wonderful women who call Memphis home. Purchase tickets at memphismonologues.org.

AEG Presents: Kra werkMultimedia Tour 2025 (Shell Yeah! Bene t Series)

Overton Park Shell, 1928 Poplar Avenue, Tuesday, March 25, 7:15 p.m., $35-$46

Bringing together music and performance art, Kra werk concerts are a true “Gesamtkunstwerk — a total work of art,” with revolutionary electronic soundscapes and robotics. In their live performances, Kra werk — Ralf Hütter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert, and Falk Grie enhagen — illustrate their belief in the respective contributions of both man and machine. is concert is part of Overton Park Shell’s Shell Yeah! Bene t Series. All seating is GA outdoor lawn seating. Lawn chairs and blankets are strongly encouraged.

Purchase tickets at overtonparkshell.org/eventpage/ kra werk25.

PUERTO RICAN NIGHT, OVERTON SQUARE TRIMBLE COURTYARD, 2092 TRIMBLE PLACE, SATURDAY, MARCH 22ND, 6-9 P.M., FREE.

PHOTO: RICARDO DOMINGUEZ | UNSPLASH

Darts Productions’ Puerto Rican Night will feature performances, food, and more.

MUSIC By Alex Greene

The Glass Key Trio

Touring Santa Fe group aims for music that’s beyond category.

A

lot of bands can be described as “improvised music,” and that’s the beauty of the genre. Straight-ahead jazz has improvised solos built in, of course, yet generally that’s over a framework of complex chord changes. More rock-oriented groups will simply lay down a drone, grind out ri s, or rely on blues changes. I’ve been told the legendary Gri ers would o en facilitate freestyle moments in their live sets by having sheets of paper marked with chord names, like “C” or “A- at,” laid out on the stage. ey would wail for a while, and when one player wanted to shi gears, he would point to a new chord and the rest would follow suit. To audiences, it seemed like sheer telepathy.

is ursday, March 20th, the Lamplighter Lounge will present a case study in two approaches to improvised sonic adventure. e opener will be Turnt, who have enjoyed a Sunday residency at the Lamp for years now, o en with a rotating cast of players. ey’re not always strictly improvised, but that’s o en the starting premise, and they arrive at it from a decidedly rockist orientation. e true “soloist,” as it were, is drummer Ross Johnson, who’s been globally celebrated for his o -the-cu verbal rants since 1979’s “Baron of Love, Pt. II.” at recording, of course, was made in cahoots with rebrand Alex Chilton, but more recently Turnt, too, have shown o Johnson to great e ect. You can hear his magic on Bandcamp on such tunes as “Methadone Takeout Card,” “Twelve Hours on a Respirator,” or “Merry STD Baby,” where the verbal pugilist is backed by core Turnt members Scott Taylor (of Gri ers fame), Bill Webb, and Hans Faulhaber. ough Taylor was sidelined by a stroke about a year ago, from which he’s now heroically ghting his way back, the band carries on. And while Johnson claims to have sworn o his ranting, we fans will believe it when we see it.

A er their set, some fresh faces will take the stage: e Glass Key Trio from Santa Fe, New Mexico. As Faulhaber quips with characteristic humility, “ ey can actually play!”

Indeed, band leader and guitarist Jeremy Bleich studied composition at Cleveland State University, mostly playing bass and classical guitar at the time. And his trio’s debut album, Apocalypse Fatigue, led to

two nominations in the 2023 New Mexico Music Awards, including Best Jazz Album and Best Instrumental Song. Yet when I note to Bleich that the Lamplighter Lounge doesn’t o en play host to award-winning jazz groups, Bleich lets out a hearty laugh. “Actually, the thing that we’re not used to is playing in jazz rooms, to be honest,” he says.

“It’s interesting. e word jazz means di erent things to di erent people,” he goes on. “And I think the way that jazz is marketed or presented in certain venues can sometimes be codi ed in a way that we would de nitely be excluded from. In my view — and I’ve played a lot of straightahead jazz in my life, too — I feel that jazz should be a living, breathing thing, and it always brings in di erent elements of music. A lot of the jazz that I’ve played has been in uenced by so much music outside of bebop or straight-ahead jazz. Our music has a lot to do with other traditions, some of which are improvised, like Balkan music or bluegrass or American folk. I don’t really see much of a division between them. And a lot of the leading people that I’m listening to in jazz music are de nitely interested in all of those di erent things, including punk rock.”

Although parts of Apocalypse Fatigue sound a bit like Bill Frisell if Frisell listened to more Wire, you won’t hear much punk per se on e Glass Key Trio’s album — yet it’s clearly in Bleich’s musical DNA. at goes back to his post-collegiate years in New York. “In the ’90s and the 2000s, the Downtown New York scene was kind of centered around the things that John Zorn was involved in, and his Tzadik label. I played with a group called Birth, and we did a lot of playing in New York at that time, with a lot of those guys who were on that label. ey were all into, you know, klezmer music or Balkan music or Arabic music. I played the oud a lot, and that kind of came from that scene, which was reaching for something outside of straight-ahead jazz, for sure.”

Nor do the other two members of the trio limit their de nitions of “jazz.”

Drummer Milton Villarrubia III comes from a respected musical family in New Orleans. “He’s an old friend of mine,” says Bleich. “We’ve been collaborating on so many di erent styles of music and groups over the years. He ended up moving to Santa Fe

the night of Hurricane Katrina, trying to get to the highest ground he could. And he’s an amazing drummer. He’s got this thing that only New Orleans drummers have, which is this deep, easy pocket that’s just so easy to play to. And then he can turn on a dime, and just play completely free.”

You can also le bassist Ben Wright under “free,” though he’s equally at home with more structured music. Many Memphians have enjoyed performances by his renowned father, saxophonist Jack Wright, whose Wrest trio was brought here by Goner Records, in a show at B-Side Bar. While Bleich’s music is clearly composed, he has an open approach to the band’s interpretation of his music, especially with newcomer Wright inheriting his father’s proclivities. “Ben can really go there,” Bleich enthuses. “He was raised in that [free] tradition. So, you know, e Glass Key Trio’s music is kind of taking on a whole new kind of life from the improv element. It’s a little freer. It’s a little more sound-based, and so I’m excited to explore those elements as well.”

PHOTO: (ABOVE) COURTESY JEREMY BLEICH e Glass Key Trio

PHOTO: (BELOW) COURTESY SKYLINE RECORDS Turnt

BRACKET 2025 Challenge

CALENDAR of EVENTS: March 20 - 26

ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS

2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection

Featuring new additions to the permanent collection. rough Nov. 2.

METAL MUSEUM

“A Journey into the Shadows:” Nelson Gutierrez

Works evoking migration and displacement through a striking visual language of shadow and movement, using threedimensional cutout drawings. rough May 11.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

“All Rise: Memphis Bar Association at 150” rough arresting objects and powerful images, the exhibition will showcase the Memphis Bar Association’s historical signi cance and continuing relevance. rough March 29.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

ARTSmemphis: GRANTEDTime Exhibition

With work by Brittney Boyd Bullock, a visual artist working ber, mixed media, and abstraction. Saturday, March 22-Aug. 5.

ARTSMEMPHIS

“Beasts Abound” (Figurative Group Exhibition) is exhibit captures a moment when it’s exciting to be a gurative artist. rough March 21.

MARSHALL ARTS GALLERY

Bob McCabe: “Discovering Painting: It’s Never Too Late!”

Experience the artist’s work in watercolors, acrylics, and oil painting. rough Mar. 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Brian Jobe and Jered Sprecher: “Arrangements in Gravity”

Exhibition of recent work by artists in whose work both the poignant and playful are present. Free. rough April 25.

BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY

Carlyle Wolfe Lee: “Wonder” is artist’s practice is devoted to a deeper connection with her natural environment, especially the exchange of color and light that occurs in her surroundings. rough March 22.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

Chris Antemann: “An Occasional Craving” Colorful, imaginative, and cheeky ceramic sculptures that parody the dynamics between men and women. rough April 6.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“Earth Matters: Rethink the Future”

See the inner workings of a tree, learn about endangered species, biodiversity, and climate change. $18. rough May 18.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY

AT THE PINK PALACE

Floyd Newsum: “House of Grace”

Large paintings on paper and maquettes for public sculptures that represent the artist’s interest in social practice. rough April 6.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“From the Ashes:”

Maritza Dávila-Irizarry

Works integrating printmaking, mixed media, photography, video, and remnants from the re that destroyed the artist’s studio. rough May 11.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

“In Plain Sight:” The Photography of Ben Couvillion

An exhibit Couvillion’s bold and saturated compositions. rough April 27.

ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Jennifer Watson: “Small Spaces”

ree-dimensional enameled copper sculptures within paintings that mix overlapping and colliding geometries with animal and plant imagery. rough April 13.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Johnathan Payne: “Regenesis”

e artist works at the abstract intersection of drawing, collage, embroidery, beadwork, and painting. rough March 22.

CLOUGH-HANSON GALLERY

“Let’s Eat” Exhibition by Carolyn Moss and Georgia Smith Hospitality is interwoven through paintings created collaboratively by the artists. rough March 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

“Light as Air”

Explore a balance of forms, the contrast between heavy and light, and the signi cance of negative space. rough Sept. 7.

METAL MUSEUM

Memphis Camera Club: “Best of 2024” Exhibition

One of the oldest photography organizations in the region presents the nest works created by MCC members over the past year. rough March 28.

ANF ARCHITECTS

“Not Only Seen, But Felt”

With Black women photographers from Memphis: A.C. Bullard, Ariel J. Cobbert,

In honor of World Water Day, help clean up the Wolf River Greenway at Mud Island.

Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.

DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.

W., and MadameFraankie. rough April 17.

URBAN ART COMMISSION

“Opposites Abstract:” A Mo Willems Exhibit O ering children the opportunity to “make some silliness and take art seriously at the same time.” – Mo Willems Free. rough May 18.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF MEMPHIS “Pompeii: The Exhibition”

In a media-rich, object-based immersive experience, discover the bustling commercial port and strategic military and trading center that was Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius erupted. rough April 13.

GRACELAND EXHIBITION CENTER

Sandra Horton and Becky McRae: “Double Vision: Abstract vs. Realism”

Featuring Horton’s vibrant and colorful abstract paintings and McRae’s photographs, many taken while traveling abroad. Free. rough March 28.

WKNO

Sisters of the Brush and a Brother: “Paint Their Dreams” Exhibition Works by Phyllis Boger, Patrick McGee, Barrie Foster, Ann Brown omason, and Jana Jones. rough March 31.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

“Spirit of ’74, Fire and Water”

An exhibit uniting two St. Mary’s Class of ’74 alums, Mary Hills Baker Powell, and Katie Dann. rough April 3.

BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS

CENTER

“Supernatural

Telescope”: Danielle

Sierra

A deeply personal and poetic re ection on memory, love, and spirituality, inspired by

the passing of the artist’s father. rough May 11.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

“The Colors of the Caribbean:” Juan Roberto Murat Salas

A Cuban-born painter brings the rich visual traditions of his homeland to life through bold colors and dynamic compositions. rough May 11.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

Thomas Dambo’s “Trolls: Save the Humans”

A larger-than-life fairy tale, in which art and nature intertwine. rough May 21.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Thomas Jackson: “Chaotic Equilibrium” Ethereal works that blur the boundaries between landscape photography, sculpture, and kinetic art. rough April 28.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Tributaries: Rachel David’s “Engorging Eden”

A solo exhibition that transforms everyday furniture into fragmented expressions of life’s chaos, joy, and loss. rough May 11.

METAL MUSEUM

“Water Valley in Memphis”

Featuring Tori Ellis Smith, Amy Webb, Erin Austen Abbott, Megan Patton, Coulter Fussell, Brooke Alexander and Hannah McCormick. Friday, March 21-April 10.

THE UGLY ART COMPANY

“Who is that Artist?”

Jorden Miernik-Walker Photography-based work with interactive components that speaks to function, loss, identity, comfort, and femininity. rough April 6.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

ART HAPPENINGS

Artist Talk: Althea Murphy-Price & Nelson Gutierrez

Learn more about these artists and their work, and enjoy some sweet treats and good company. Saturday, March 22, 1-2:30 p.m.

SHEET CAKE

Artist Talk: “Not Only Seen, But Felt”

An engaging artist talk about the powerful exhibition showcasing the work of seven Black women photographers from Memphis. Saturday, March 22, 5-6:30 p.m.

URBAN ART COMMISSION

ARTSmemphis: GRANTEDTime Exhibition Opening Reception

An opportunity to celebrate, view, and purchase works from ARTSassist grantees at the GRANTEDTime exhibit opening, curated by Brittney Boyd Bullock. Champagne and charcuterie provided. Saturday, March 22, 3-5 p.m.

ARTSMEMPHIS

Open House at Studiohouse on Malvern Artists, Mary Jo Karimnia and Keiko Gonzalez host a daylong, drop-in event that will include art installations and pop-up performances by musical guest Blueshi Ensemble at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

STUDIOHOUSE ON MALVERN

“Water Valley in Memphis” Reception

Featuring Tori Ellis Smith, Amy Webb, Erin Austen Abbott, Megan Patton, Coulter Fussell, Brooke Alexander, and Hannah McCormick. Sunday, March 23, 1-6 p.m.

THE UGLY ART COMPANY

“Windows On Africa” Exhibition Opening e grand opening of a new

permanent African art exhibition, “All of Africa.” Saturday, March 22, 3-5 p.m.

ART MUSEUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS (AMUM)

BOOK EVENTS

James Ponti: The Sherlock Society and London Calling Some new middle grade and young adult ction from the New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author. Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m. NOVEL

COMEDY

Comedy On Tap Great beer, delicious food, and a night full of belly laughs. Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m. CROSSTOWN BREWING COMPANY Comedy Night with Ben Pierce A side-splitting extravaganza. ursday, March 20, 7 p.m. BAR DKDC

Eddie Griffin Live e funniest guy to ever slam Sikhs, support MAGA, and defend Bill Cosby! $58.80/ general admission. Saturday, March 22, 7:30-9 p.m. MINGLEWOOD HALL

Open Mic Comedy Night A hilarious Midtown tradition. Tuesday, March 25, 8 p.m. HI TONE

COMMUNITY

39th Annual “Bowlin’ on the River” Bowl-AThon

Bene ting Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South. Saturday, March 22, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

BILLY HARWICK LANES

Alexus Milons, Jasmine Marie, Gabrielle Yasmeen, Keara

PHOTO: COURTESY WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY

A Black girl discovers “the

Junior League of Memphis: Develop HER Women’s Summit

Creating stronger communities by helping women reach their full potential. Friday, March 21, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER

World Water Day 2025 Service Project

Help prevent trash from washing into the Wolf River and its tributaries by cleaning up littered locations along the Wolf River Greenway at Mud Island. Saturday, March 22, 10 a.m.-noon.

WOLF RIVER GREENWAY - MUD ISLAND SECTION

EXPO/SALES

SneakerFest

A fun, all-ages event for sneakerheads and fashion lovers. Buy, sell, trade, and shop among the many vendors. 20,000+ sneakers under one roof. Saturday, March 22, 1-6 p.m.

AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL

FILM

Cities of the Future 3D

Imagine stepping 50 years into the future and finding smart cities designed to be totally sustainable. Renewable energy is our primary power source, and space-based solar power provides energy. Through May 23.

CTI 3D GIANT THEATER

Ek Tha Tiger: Bollywood Film Screening

An unforgettable screening of the film that launched the renowned YRF Spy Universe. $5. Saturday, March 22, 1-3:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D

A global odyssey to discover the largest and least explored habitat on earth. New ocean science and technology has allowed us to go further into the unknown than we ever thought possible. Through May 23

CTI 3D GIANT THEATER

Space: The New Frontier 2D

From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. Through May 23.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

FOOD AND DRINK

Blue Jean Ball

Concord Academy’s 15th Annual Blue Jean Ball & Auction. $90/general admission. Friday, March 21, 6 p.m.

ESPLANADE MEMPHIS

Cherry Blossom Picnic

Dine from food trucks, tour the Japanese Garden, and take part in family-friendly activities including shodo name writing, origami, and a tea ceremony. Saturday, March 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Fireside Fest

There will be new Fireside merch, $5 pints of Fireside, and plenty of surprises. Walt Phelan Band will be performing. Free. Saturday, March

22, 1-10 p.m.

MEMPHIS MADE BREWING (DOWNTOWN THE RAVINE)

PERFORMING ARTS

Disney on Ice: Magic in the Stars

Join the magical adventure as your favorite stories come to life through world-class ice skating. $25. Thursday, March 20, 7 p.m. | Friday, March 21, 7 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m. | Saturday, March 22, 3 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m. | Sunday, March 23, noon | Sunday, March 23, 4 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

Fleurs à la Lampe

Featuring Aphro Hoops, Black Magick, Faline, Felicity Fox, Godiva Goddess, Lilac Wanderlust Aubergine, Miss Puss Puss Kitty Galore, Papa Chubb. $10. Saturday, March 22, 9 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

HomeGrown Arts Presents: Dance, Girl!

The journey of a Black girl discovering the dance of adolescent learning through poetry, music, and dance. $25. Saturday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Memphis Monologues

Benefiting Planned Parenthood Tennessee and North Mississippi. $25/individual ticket, $75/VIP individual ticket, $250/empowered sponsor, $500/ choice sponsor. Tuesday, March 25, 7-10 p.m.

VOICES OF THE SOUTH THEATER

THEATREWORKS @ THE SQUARE CALENDAR: MARCH 20 - 26

Shell Yeah! – Kraftwerk

Bringing together music and performance art, Kraftwerk concerts are a true “Gesamtkunstwerk — a total work of art,” with revolutionary electronic soundscapes and robotics. Tuesday, March 25, 7 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

THEATER

Dance Nation

An exploration of ambition, self-discovery, and the fierce world of competitive preteen dance. Finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, March 23, 2 p.m.

THEATREWORKS AT THE EVERGREEN

Disney Presents: Beauty and the Beast, The Broadway Musical

This classic story tells of Belle, an independent young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, really a young prince who is trapped under the spell of an enchantress. Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m. | Sunday, March 23, 2 p.m.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

Je’Caryous Johnson Presents Jason’s Lyric Live!

Jason’s Lyric, the film written by Bobby Smith Jr., is transformed into an immersive stage

Crossword

ACROSS

1 Filming device, for short

4 Men’s Health or Women’s Health, for short

7 Sticks (to)

14 Mined rocks

15 Years that one has lived

16 Presidents and prime ministers

17 Gun advocacy grp.

18 It flows from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal

20 Piece of sports equipment with strings

22 First-___ (best)

23 Back-to-school mo.

24 Relaxation

28 Greek goddess of the hunt

30 Reference point during a piano lesson

33 Coke or 7Up

34 Bring into the company

35 Summer zodiac sign

36 “If memory serves …”

40 Nada

43 Black gemstone

44 Bulletin board fastener

47 Firm, as pasta

49 Fully illustrated, as a novel

52 Work of Shakespeare

53 “Norma ___” (1979 film)

54 German article

55 Where heads of the Pacific are found?

60 $ $ $

63 PBS-funding org.

64 Singer Flack with the 1973 hit “Killing Me Softly With His Song”

65 Serve that nicks the net

66 Paving goo

67 Reached the golf course standard

68 CPR sites

69 Tax org. undergoing some “reform” in this puzzle’s circled squares

DOWN

1 Iran-___ (1980s scandal)

2 Behind in payments, after “in”

3 Did intentionally

4 O. Henry’s “The Gift of the ___”

5 Court great Andre

6 Blues and rock, for two

7 Actor Guinness

8 Schoolroom assignment

9 Relative of a rabbit

10 Revised, as copy

11 Gun, as an engine

12 “But I heard him exclaim, ___ he drove out of sight …”

13 Byelorussia, e.g.: Abbr.

19 Cumberland ___ 21 “Boy, do I ___ drink!”

25 Nothing’s opposite

26 “Didn’t I tell you?”

27 Green: Prefix

29 Worker with a trowel 30 Prop you might drop

Savings for the golden years, for short

experience, with a star-studded cast led by Allen Payne. An electrifying adaptation of one of the most iconic love stories of our time. Friday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.

ORPHEUM THEATRE

Punk Rock Girl!

A spirited musical tale about discovering community and forging one’s tribe. Adult language. Friday, March 21, 8 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 8 p.m. | Sunday, March 23, 2 p.m.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

Seussical

The essence of Dr. Seuss’ characters, captured in a magical production. Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

Thoughts of a Colored Man

A play that celebrates the hopes, ambitions, joys, and triumphs of Black men in a world that often refuses to hear them. Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, March 23, 2 p.m.

HATTILOO THEATRE

Tick Tick Boom!

The story of a composer and the sacrifices that he makes to achieve his big break in theater. Friday, March 21, 8 p.m. | Saturday, March 22, 8 p.m. | Sunday, March 23, 2 p.m.

Airline whose name is a Greek letter

Evil spell

Loaf that might have seeds

Place to pin a pink ribbon

Stick in the microwave

Sick

PUZZLE

PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS

dance of adolescent learning” in Dance, Girl! , a production from HomeGrown Arts.

We Saw You.

with MICHAEL DONAHUE

If you tasted everything at A Taste of CBHS, you ate a complete dinner several times. An incredible array of Memphis restaurants and businesses participated in the annual event, including some with Christian Brothers High School ties. e event, which was held March 2nd at CBHS’ eld house, listed 35 participants on its program.

Among those attending with school connections were Mike Garibaldi of Garibaldi’s Pizza, Alex Boggs of Huey’s, and Clark Shifani of Old Dominick Distillery. Other purple and gold businesses linked to former CBHS students include Dyer’s Burgers, which is owned by Kendall Robertson, and Hog & Hominy, which is owned by Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman.

Villa Castrioti was the title sponsor of the event. One of the owners, Joe Clarke, and an investor, Brian Leith, are Brothers Boys. e event was a sellout, Clarke says.

In addition to the cuisine, A Taste of CBHS featured tasteful music by performers, including the Walnut Grove Jazz Band.

MICHAEL DONAHUE

above: Mike, Tripp, Michael, and Matthew Garibaldi circle: omas Owens and Zach Hamlet below: (le to right) Clark Shifani and David Valentine; Caryn Welsh, Nash Lanigan, and Hannah Goode; Dawn Waxler, Charles Hall, and Laura Hall bottom row: (le to right) Ron Kent, Hall Crawford, and Paul Benson; Bro. Joel McGraw and Jack McBee; Terry Bady and Ashley Eason

PHOTOS:

above: Al Wooten II

circle: Nick and Holli Kenney

below: (le to right) Andrew and Erin Arbogast; Will Davenport, and Trevor Anderson; Jennings Goode and Eric Goode; Frannie Farris Franks and Michael Franks

right row: (top and below) Stuart Webb, Dana Webb, Shelly Pender, and Bee McCollum; Clay Tidwell, Bro. Chris Englert, and Nancy Lanigan

bottom row: (le to right) Rebecca and Jake Garbuzinski; Brittany Deaton, Tony Heard, and Grace Poel

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Welcome to JamRack

Damion Lumsden wants people to have “an authentic Jamaican experience.”

Without leaving Memphis.

Lumsden, 37, wants people to say, “I’ve never been to Jamaica, but I’ve had this experience in Memphis.”

e experience is JamRack Restaurant and Bar, Lumsden’s Caribbean restaurant at 150 North Avalon Street. e restaurant is in the heart of Midtown in the group of businesses near Home Depot at Poplar Avenue and Avalon. He features “the raw authentic Jamaican experience,” including food, and on the weekends, reggae music.

On my rst trip to JamRack, I tried Lumsden’s tantalizing MaMa’s Stew Chicken (also known as Brown Stewed Chicken) encircled with my side order of fried plantains (I ordered mine ripe, not green). I can’t wait to go back for more of this sweet-and-savory dish.

I also ordered the tasty jerk chicken, which is the Jamaican version of barbecue. Lumsden tells me he plans to o er jerk pork at a future date.

Lumsden’s story is fascinating.

“I’m from Portland, Jamaica,” he says. “I’m a country boy. My dad is Wayne Lumsden, a survivor of 9/11.”

His dad was an accountant in the World Trade Center in New York. “He had just turned the corner, about to enter the building, when the rst explosion happened. He said he just ran as fast as he could trying to dodge the debris that was falling at the time.

“Me and my little sister wouldn’t have made it to America if he hadn’t survived.”

His dad’s business relocated its employees. He got a job as an accountant at Flextronics in Memphis.

Damion, who was 18 when he moved to Memphis with his sister Khadine, didn’t like the city at rst. He spoke English, but when he tried to play basketball with the neighbor kids, he says, “ ey couldn’t understand me and I couldn’t understand them because they were speaking so fast. ey were using this Memphis slang, so I wasn’t familiar with it.”

He got a job at Jabil Circuit Inc., where he “climbed the ranks” to assistant manager.

Creating Jamaican food experiences for others began when Damion helped his dad do a birthday party at their home. “We cooked and invited a bunch of people from work.”

Guests tried jerk chicken and curry

PHOTOS:

DONAHUE

Damion Lumsden

What makes it “raw” is the imported seasonings they use. One of these is “season to the bone, made of a combination of a few different spices.”

goat for the rst time. “ ey went crazy.”

People asked how they could get more of that food. “We would cook and sell food at the house. He used to deliver almost 30 to 50 plates to Jabil every week.”

One of the dishes was MaMa’s Brown Stewed Chicken. “It has a very savory and avorful sauce. e chicken is panseared rst, and then we add that sauce. It does have a sweet base to it. And it goes really well with rice. It’s usually a leg and a thigh cut up.”

Damion and his dad continued to throw parties at their home, where they featured Jamaican food. “We would set up a grill outside, and my dad would be on the grill.”

e parties eventually evolved into

his dad’s restaurant, the old Evelyn & Olive at 630 Madison Avenue. “He didn’t open it. He bought the business in 2018.”

His dad changed up the menu “but he kept a good amount of what they already had.”

Evelyn & Olive’s cuisine was “more like Jamaican and Southern cuisine” as opposed to the raw Jamaican cuisine.

When the restaurant’s lease ran out, his dad bought the Evelyn & Olive food truck he still operates. “I got a building that same year, which is the one I’m in now, and I started to build that out.”

Damion, who held his grand opening last August, named his restaurant “JamRack” as opposed to “Jamrock,” the Jamaican spelling of the word. “I just

wanted it to be unique.”

And in Jamaica they don’t pronounce it “jam-ROCK”; they say “jam-RACK.” he says.

“Jamrock” is “another way of saying ‘Jamaica’ back home.”

It was popularized in the Damian Marley song, “Welcome to Jamrock”— “Which is ‘Welcome to Jamaica.’”

Damion didn’t want a “clichéd look” of a Caribbean restaurant with the traditional Jamaican colors of red, gold, and green. Entering JamRack, which seats about 64, customers see a colorful mural depicting Jamaican “heroes” — “impactful people from our time and before our time.”

ey include singer-songwriter Bob Marley, Nanny of the Maroons, Michael Manley, and Marcus Garvey.

“ e look inside is very generic but has the island feel to it. e bar is made from zinc, which is what many roofs and fences are made of in Jamaica,” Damion says.

e food is made from a fusion of recipes from both his dad and his mom, Lorna Brown, who still lives in Jamaica. “More raw Jamaican authentic cuisine.” It’s all fully cooked. What makes it “raw” is the imported seasonings they use. One of these is “season to the bone,” a seasoning that is “made of a combination of a few di erent spices combined together to create a unique avor.”

Damion uses the seasoning in his two most popular items, the brown stew and his red snapper.

He’s already coming up with ideas for new dishes. “One thing we’re going to do in the near future is introduce a Jamaican-style mac-and-cheese. Without going into too much detail, think of a rich, avorful mac-andcheese.”

e dish will have a “crispy edge on it.” And, he adds, the di erent spices of the Caribbean will create “di erent notes and avors.”

ey have a full bar, but their signature cocktails are rum based — that’s their specialty. eir favorite rum is Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum.

JamRack also features “traditional sodas from Jamaica. e most popular is Ting. It’s like a grapefruit soda. Our version of a lemonade.”

Currently, JamRack is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. “We almost see a new face every day,” Damion says. “A lot of people are coming in saying, ‘Hey. I heard your food was good, so I’m going to try it.’”

Damion Lumsden’s Caribbean restaurant features authentic Jamaican cuisine.

MICHAEL

ARTS By Abigail Morici

‘Away

with the Tides’

e Memphis Brooks Museum of Art presents Calida Rawles’ rst solo exhibit.

Water ripples throughout Memphis history. e ooding waters of the Mississippi River drove those rst Memphians to settle atop the Fourth Chickasaw Blu . Stagnant water from rain cisterns and shallow wells bred mosquitos that brought about the yellow fever epidemic, costing the city its charter in 1878. e epidemic, in turn, led Memphians, searching for a reliable water source in the name of sanitation and health, to discover the Memphis aquifer, the sole source of Memphis’ water today. In this century, residents in South Memphis have to ght to protect our aquifer — against the proposed construction of the Byhalia crude oil pipeline and against the continued threats of contamination from Tennessee Valley Authority’s Allen Fossil Plant.

With all its complexities, water is now at the forefront of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides,” on display March 19th through September 7th. Indeed, the California-based artist’s exhibit of 10 paintings and a threechannel video explores water’s dualities, speci cally as a space for Black healing, resilience, and joy.

Water is a central motif in Rawles’ works. rough it, Rawles asks questions about Black people’s relationships with water. She probes the stereotype about Black people not knowing how to swim. “Where’d it come from? Oh, because you couldn’t have pools; there was segregation at the pool. is is a place you don’t see us, and I don’t see myself, and you think we don’t belong.”

is history and these stereotypes have rippling e ects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning death rates for Black people under 30 are 1.5 times higher than for white people, and 70 percent of Black Americans cannot swim, compared to 31 percent for white Americans, according to a study by USA Swimming and the University of Memphis.

“And so, I thought that could be like an undercurrent to all of the work,” Rawles says. “When you put a Black body in that water, you’re dispelling something — without even talking about a subject. And then if I paint the gures comfortably and with agency, if people think, ‘I could feel comfortable like that,’ ‘I don’t have to be afraid of the water,’ or maybe ‘I should learn to swim,’ I thought I could do that, too.”

In turn, her paintings allow Black bodies to take up space, her canvases

Calida Rawles, Hallowed Be Her Name, 2024

large in size, but more importantly they allow them to take up space in water, as historically charged as it is. For this exhibit, Rawles focuses on the bodies of water of Overtown, Miami, a historically Black neighborhood, which Rawles says was once like “a second Harlem.”

Founded in 1896 for and by African Americans, the neighborhood thrived as an entertainment district during the early- to mid-20th century in the Jim Crow era. “It had a thriving community of 300 businesses, and everyone used to go there, and everyone used to do shows and go to all the stu ,” Rawles says.

But in the late 1950s, with the passage of Eisenhower’s Federal-Aid Highway Act, the construction of two major freeways displaced thousands of Overtown residents, or “Towners,” through eminent domain. In the a ermath, Rawles says, “ ey lost their homes, and they lost their businesses, and they had no way to [recover]. e job market just fell.”

e highways essentially decimated the neighborhood, the population dropping and blight taking over what once was a desirable and vibrant community of Black Miami’s professional class in the name of “progress.” Today, though, many say Overtown is experiencing a renaissance, as advocates and community

members try to rebuild and reinvigorate what once was, but its scars are not forgotten even as hope endures.

And so, Rawles dedicated her rst solo museum exhibit to painting the people of Overtown in her signature way — in bodies of water. She’s taken her subjects, young and old, to Gibson Pool, a product of segregation, and Virginia Key Beach, once designated as a Black beach. In this way, she’s also able to probe the Transatlantic slave trade. Her subjects oat, their bodies bending the will of the water, balanced and relaxed in waters haunted by the past.

“I wanted to make Overtown proud,” she says. “ at’s not how I usually work; it’d be a subject or how I feel or a response to news or just what I want to paint. You want to paint from your heart and hope [viewers] get it because you don’t want the viewer to in uence what you create.”

rough all her portraits of Overtowners, Rawles adds, “I’m really talking about various communities around. I want to inspire people to learn more about communities and not feel like if you look at them right now you know the whole history.”

While “Away with the Tides” is in Memphis, Rose Smith, the Brooks’ assistant curator of photography, hopes viewers can connect Miami’s Overtown

with Memphis’ Orange Mound. “Miami’s Overtown community neighborhood mirrors Memphis’ Orange Mound community,” they say, pointing out how both neighborhoods were founded for and by African Americans in similar time periods. “We want to talk about the ways in which these communities re ect each other, although the Black community in Memphis didn’t experience a highway obstruction. But certainly, there are other things that we can glean and show parallels between these two communities.”

e exhibit will even lead into an interactive gallery wherein the Brooks will highlight Memphis’ own Black swim history, for which Smith dug into the archives, searching through photos and newspaper clippings at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

“We want this exhibition to engender joy, rest, meditation and healing within our Memphis community,” Smith says. “We also want to advocate for water accessibility, equity, and safety for our community.”

“Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides” is on display at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art through September 7th. For more information, visit brooksmuseum. org/exhibitions/calida-rawles-away-withthe-tides.

PHOTO: COURTESY THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK, SEOUL, AND LONDON

By

Emily Guenther

The Goddess Archetype

Divine feminine energy is within — and around — us all.

The spring equinox is here, and the rising energies of spring o en make me think of e Goddess. In this instance, e Goddess is not a speci c person, entity, or deity. Here we are talking about the archetype of e Goddess and how she shows up in our lives. Di erent religions look at the idea of e Goddess di erently, but we do not have the space to break her down into such depths here. Today, we are going to focus on the “Big G” Goddess, this overarching energy that permeates so much of our life, even if we don’t always name it as such.

e Goddess is the embodiment of the divine feminine — an energy inside everyone and everything — and is o en associated with compassion, nurturing, forgiveness, intuition, and empathy. It’s the feminine aspect of divine power that has created galaxies and guides us in our lives. e divine feminine primarily focuses on the inner being and your own emotional world. Tapping into this energy can help you heal your mind, body, and soul, and can help you show more kindness to the world and those around you.

e energies of the divine masculine and divine feminine have been present in various spiritual traditions and belief systems throughout history. You might nd lists explaining that divine masculine energy usually represents qualities like strength, action, logic, and rationality, while divine feminine represents qualities like intuition, nurturing, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

Everyone has these energies in their

own unique combination. Regardless of gender identity or sexual preferences, each person is a distinctive combination of these action-oriented, divine masculine energies and the receptive-centered, divine feminine energies. is balance of energy in each one of us will shi over time, depending on what is going on in our lives and what qualities we want or need to cultivate. I know, for example, that I used to present more masculine energy than I do now. Over the last 10 years or so, I have cultivated my divine feminine energy and recognize that I carry more of that now than I used to.

e Goddess is the personi cation of the divine feminine. She has been worshipped across the world since humans developed spiritual inclinations. She is seen and honored more in pre-Christian religions and modern paganism, but she also shows up in Abrahamic faiths and other spiritual paths such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

We see e Goddess more clearly in our ancient and modern Pagan religions because she was never hidden away. I am not familiar with the religious beliefs of every pre-Christian culture; however, I feel con dent in saying they likely had at least one Goddess in their pantheon.

e Goddess has always been a part of us, a part of our world. She is the earth mother who nurtures us and sustains life. She is the moon who pulls at our waters, the sun that guides us each day. Yes, some cultures identify the sun with goddesses and some identify the moon with gods.

We see e Goddess in every person we meet. It is our job to look for the divine in each person and in nature around us, and honor that. Every person who calls themselves woman carries aspects of e Goddess. ey show her to us in so many wonderful ways. Every person who calls themselves man carries aspects of e Goddess as well. ey show her to us in myriad ways, sometimes obviously but not always. ose who are gender neutral or uid or who are nonbinary also show us aspects of e Goddess. We can nd her everywhere we look and see her re ected back at us in unique ways.

Regardless of where we nd her, or how we nd her, she is there. e Goddess birthed us all. And in doing so, she gave each of us a piece of her to carry, to connect us with her, and to make sure we nd our way home at the end of our journey. Hail e Goddess!

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE 10a-5p

Crosstown Concourse Plaza and Atrium on June 7th! Shop 100+ of the most talented local makers and artists, enjoy delicious craft tastes at our Crafts & Drafts Beer Garden, and partake in all of the fun of Crosstown Concourse!

PHOTO: KOBYLINSK | PEXELS

e Goddess is the personi cation of the divine feminine.

CROSSTOWN ARTS

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

It’s Good To Have a Hobby

In 2023, friends Boone Hogg and Logan Jugler found a nice stick on the side of a trail in Utah — it had “some excellent grain on it” and a “nice grip,” they said. They liked it so much, they shared a review of it with their friends, National Public Radio reported on Jan. 23. Two years later, Stick Nation has about 3 million Instagram followers from all over the world who post pictures and reviews of their favorite sticks. Some are “modded,” or altered by humans; others are “natty,” left in their natural state. One poster from Antarctica wondered: “There are no sticks here. … I found an ice stick. Does this count?” Stick Nation allowed the submission. “This is an Antarctica stick,” Jugler decreed.

Nope

theory community lit up with tales of underground tunnels: “The truth is in the tunnels,” one wrote on X. But LAPD is also familiar with the individual who frequents the area, and they said he “has refused housing or a mental health evaluation. He has been at the location for a few years.”

Weird in the Wild

In November, high above Riedering, Germany, Friedi Kuhne and Lukas Irmler walked across a slackline strung between two hot-air balloons flying at more than 8,000 feet, United Press International reported. The two were awarded the Guinness World Record for highest slackline walk on Jan. 27. Irmler went first, calling the successful walk “a glorious moment.” Kuhne admitted, “Watching Lukas struggle on the slackline was also very intimidating for me,” noting that the balloons went up and down while they were mid-walk. “At one point we were walking kind of downhill — the next minute uphill. The tension of the line was going up and down.” He celebrated by parachuting off the line.

It’s a Mystery

The Los Angeles Times reported on Jan. 27 that police were called to a property along the Los Angeles River where Google Earth images had captured multiple HELP signs scratched into the dirt. The land is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, and it turns out the satellite images were captured in 2023. But a KTLA-TV news helicopter flew over the property on Jan. 27 and saw that the words were still there. Jill Micek, a spokesperson for Union Pacific, said the railroad is aware of a man who has trespassed on the company’s property repeatedly and who is responsible for the alarming messages. While she stressed that no one is in danger, the conspiracy

In rural Willows, Australia, a man in his 50s suffered serious injuries on Jan. 29 when a “massive” kangaroo attacked him as he walked from his house to his car, The Guardian reported. Fortunately, a neighbor witnessed the attack and was able to call for help. Rick Underhill of the Willows Rural Fire Brigade said the man encountered two kangaroos, one male and one female, and the female ran off before the “other bastard turned around and attacked him.” He said the male roo was about 6.5 feet tall and probably weighed 220 pounds. Underhill warned community members to stay at home. “A lot of elderly people live in this little community, and they like to go and walk their dogs in the morning,” he said. “And that’s just asking for trouble.”

The Tech Revolution

Twelve thousand humans, alongside dozens of humanoid robots, are scheduled to compete in a half-marathon in Beijing in April, Oddity Central reported on Jan. 29. Bipedal robots from Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and 1X will have to have a human-inspired appearance and be able to move on two legs. Experts say experienced human runners have the edge over robots, partially because of battery life, but battery changes mid-race will be allowed.

Police Report

Police pulled over Elizabeth Perez of El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 24 after clocking her driving 106 mph on I-84 near Baker City, Oregon, The Oregonian reported. Why is that weird? Perez is 94 years old. She was also cited for failing to secure a child passenger, driving without insurance, and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD © 2025 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Inside a kaleidoscope, the colored shards of glass are in an ever-shifting chaotic jumble. But internal mirrors present pleasing symmetrical designs to the person gazing into the kaleidoscope. I see a similar phenomenon going on in your life. Some deep intelligence within you (your higher self?) is creating intriguing patterns out of an apparent mess of fragments. I foresee this continuing for several weeks. So don’t be quick to jump to conclusions about your complicated life. A hidden order is there, and you can see its beauty if you’re patient and poised.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Spiders spin their webs with meticulous care, crafting structures that are delicate, strong, and useful. Their silk is five times more robust than steel of the same diameter. It’s waterproof, can stretch 140 percent of its length without splitting, and maintains its sturdiness at temperatures as low as -40 degrees. With that in mind, Gemini, I bid you to work on fortifying and expanding your own web in the coming weeks — by which I mean your network of connections and support. It’s an excellent time to deepen and refine your relationships with the resources and influences that help hold your world together.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Chichén Itzá was a large pre-Columbian city from around 600 to 1200 C.E. It was built by Mayan people in what’s now Mexico. At the city center was a pyramid, The Temple of Kukulcán. During the equinoxes, and only on the equinoxes, sunlight fell on its steps in such a way as to suggest a snake descending the stairs. The mathematical, architectural, and astronomical knowledge necessary to create this entertaining illusion was phenomenal. In that spirit, I am pleased to tell you that you are now capable of creating potent effects through careful planning. Your strategic thinking will be enhanced, especially in projects that require long-term vision. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for initiatives that coordinate multiple elements to generate fun and useful outcomes.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Fireflies produce very efficient light. Nearly all the energy expended in their internal chemical reactions is turned directly into their intense glow. By contrast, light bulbs are highly inefficient. In accordance with astrological omens, Leo, I urge you to be like a firefly in the coming weeks, not a light bulb. You will have dynamic power to convert your inner beauty into outer beauty. Be audacious! Be uninhibited! Shower the world with full doses of your radiant gifts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Brazil nut trees grow in the Amazon — but if only they are in the vicinity of orchid bees, their sole pollinators. And orchid bees

Rob Brezsny

thrive in no other place except where there are lots of blooming orchids. So the Brazil nut tree has very specific requirements for its growth and well-being. You Virgos aren’t quite so picky about the influences that keep you fertile and flourishing — though sometimes I do worry about it. The good news is that in the coming months, you will be casting a wider net in quest of inspiration and support. I suspect you will gather most, maybe all, of the inspiration and support you need.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1858, businessperson James Miller Williams was digging a new water well on his land in Ontario, hoping to compensate for a local drought. He noticed oil was seeping out of the hole he had scooped. Soon, he became the first person in North America to develop a commercial oil well. I suspect that you, too, may soon stumble upon valuable fuels or resources, Libra — and they may be different from what you imagined you were looking for. Be alert and openminded for unexpected discoveries.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’ve been through the U.S. education system, and I can testify that our textbooks don’t give the French enough of the credit they deserve for helping our fledging nation gain independence from Great Britain. The 18th-century American Revolution would not have succeeded without extensive aid from France. So I’m a little late, but I am hereby showering France with praise and gratitude for its intervention. Now I encourage you, too, to compensate for your past lack of full appreciation for people and influences that have been essential to you becoming yourself. It’s a different kind of atonement: not apologizing for sins, but offering symbolic and even literal rewards to underestimated helpers and supporters.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): As I survey the astrological aspects, I am tempted to encourage you to be extra expansive about love. I am curious to see the scintillating intimacy you might cultivate. So, in the hope you’re as intrigued by the experimental possibilities as I am, I invite you to memorize the following words by author Maya Angelou and express them to a person with whom you want to play deeper and wilder: “You are my living poem, my symphony of the untold, my golden horizon stretched beyond what the eye can see. You rise in me like courage, fierce and unyielding, yet soft as a lullaby sung to a weary soul. You are my promise kept, my hope reborn, the infinite melody in the heart of silence. I hold you in the marrow of my joy, where you are home.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Four facts about a mountain goat as it navi-

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals. From standing still, they can be running at 70 miles per hour three seconds later. But they can’t sustain that intensity. After a 20-second burst, they need to relax and recover. This approach serves them well, enabling them to prey on the small creatures they like to eat. I encourage you to be like a metaphorical cheetah in the coming weeks, Aries. Capitalize on the power of focused, energetic spurts. Aim for bursts of dedicated effort, followed by purposeful rest. You don’t need to pursue a relentless pace to succeed. Recognize when it’s right to push hard and when it’s time to recharge.

gates along steep and rocky terrain: 1. It’s strong and vigorous; 2. it’s determined and unflappable; 3. it’s precise and disciplined; 4. it calls on enormous stamina and resilience. According to my astrological analysis, you Capricorns will have maximum access to all these capacities during the coming weeks. You can use them to either ascend to seemingly impossible heights or descend to fantastically interesting depths. Trust in your power to persevere. Love the interesting journey as much as the satisfaction of reaching the goal of the journey.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Swiss Army knife is a compact assemblage of tools. These may include a nail file, scissors, magnifying glass, screwdriver, pliers, blade, can opener, and many others. Is there a better symbol for adaptability and preparedness? I urge you to make it your metaphorical power object during the coming weeks, Aquarius. Explore new frontiers of flexibility, please. Be ready to shift perspective and approach quickly and smoothly. Be as agile and multifaceted as you dare.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on the planet. If, Goddess forbid, lumber harvesters cut down one of these beauties, it can be used to build more than 20 houses. And yet each mature tree begins as a seed the size of a coat button. Its monumental growth is steady and slow, relying on robust roots and a symbiotic relationship with a fungus that enables it to absorb water from fog. I propose we make the redwood your power symbol for now, Pisces. Inspired by its process, I hope you implement the magic of persistent, incremental growth. Treasure the fact that a fertile possibility has the potential, with patience and nurturing, to ripen into a long-term asset. Trust that small efforts, fueled by collaboration, will lead to gratifying achievements.

FILM By Kailynn Johnson

Opus

I

n the hours a er my viewing of Opus, I was nally able to categorize what the movie reminded me of. e three winners were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, e Rocky Horror Picture Show, and a four-part podcast series on Jonestown I recently listened to. I regret to report that my attempts to categorize the lm were the result of me wondering, “What did I just watch?” (in the derogatory sense).

Like Charlie and e Chocolate Factory and Rocky Horror, the lm features an overzealous main character living in a mysterious world beckoning you to li the veil. In Opus’ case, this character is Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), a singer characterized by his eccentricity and bravado, which has elevated him to be known as “the biggest pop star.” However, unlike a Frank-N-Furter or Willy Wonka, he is ultimately quite forgettable.

Moretti, known as the “Wizard of Wiggle”, mysteriously vanished from the mainstream 30 years ago. en writer Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) and her newsroom colleagues hear a rumor that Moretti will be releasing a new album.

e speculation is con rmed when Moretti’s publicist posts a video online. Ariel, an early-career journalist, is invited to Moretti’s exclusive listening party along with her boss Stan Sullivan (Murray Bartlett), TV personality Clara Armstrong (Juliette Lewis), an in uencer named Emily Katz (Stephanie Suganami), paparazzo

The filmmakers seem to have forgotten that a thriller needs to be thrilling.

Bianca Tyson (Melissa Chambers), and radio host Bill Lotto (Mark Sivertsen). e proclaimed VIPs travel to Moretti’s compound, whose secluded gates are lined with fans anticipating Moretti’s return. On the ride there, Ariel nds out that Bill and Moretti hate each other, and the others are surprised he is attending.

Upon arrival, the participants are asked to turn in their phones to maintain the “integrity” of the

event and are subsequently greeted by apparent cult members called “Levelists.” Stan informs Ariel that she is to observe and take notes which he will use when writing the piece for their magazine.

Moretti makes his rst appearance at a group dinner, where everyone is captivated and enamored with him. Almost everyone, anyway. Ariel is instantly suspicious. Stan gets a seat at Moretti’s table, Ariel is invited to sit with the Levelists. Her interviews with them are not enlightening.

e VIPs learn that they have 24hour concierges in the form of other Levelists. ey return to their rooms for the night, where they listen to one of Moretti’s newest releases. en, things take a dark turn. Bill’s massage appointment turns into a murder by the Levelists.

Ariel wakes the next morning and is surprised her concierge Belle spent the entire night at her door. Belle even opts to join Ariel on her morning jog, which concludes with a conversation with Moretti on the cult’s beliefs. To further expand on their ideology, Moretti takes Ariel to a tent where a Levelist is shucking oysters for pearls, which they use to make necklaces. Later, Ariel’s shower is love-bombed by a team of Levelists there to give her a makeover.

Ariel tries to learn more about the individuals, but her questions are brushed o . Her skepticism and shock are intensi ed as a Levelist shaves her pubic hair before joining the others for a performance from Moretti.

When Moretti performs a song for the VIPs, his performance intentionally singles each one of them out to make them feel “special.” Emily then starts coughing uncontrollably and is taken away. is, coupled with Bill’s disappearance, causes Ariel to raise questions, which are ignored. Her fears are further con rmed when she sneaks away from her concierge and nds a barn with dead animals — and, unbeknownst to her, Bill’s headless body. But Ariel has seen enough. It’s time to leave.

e rest of the lm is rather anticlimactic, which is disappointing.

e lmmakers seem to have forgotten that a thriller needs to be thrilling. Opus seems like the end result of a bunch of ideas that were never eshed out — especially when it comes to the character of Moretti. It’s noted by the Levelists and other people in the lm that he’s a big deal, but we don’t really see it for ourselves. Even lms like Mean Girls do a better job of showing why being deemed special by these leader types can evoke a devoted following.

I really wanted to like the lm; as an Edebiri fan, I was eager to see a Black woman at the center of a thriller. But even the plot twists seemed “meh.” Here’s hoping that this review doesn’t make me Moretti’s next target!

Opus

Now playing Multiple locations

Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich star in this uneven thriller.

(top) Ayo Edebiri as Ariel Ecton; (bottom le ) John Malkovich as Alfred Moretti; (bottom right) Writers and in uencers at Moretti’s bizarre party

Our critic picks the best films in theaters. Snow White

Disney’s string of live-action remakes of classic animation continues with this reimagining of the highest grossing film of 1938. This Snow White stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess who is forced into work as a scullery maid by her evil stepmother, played by Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot. Andrew Burnap stars as the prince, who is now just a guy named Jonathan, and basso profundo Patrick Page is the magic mirror. Also, the dwarves are bandits now.

The Alto Knights

The great Barry Levinson directs Robert De Niro in this story about old mobsters who refuse to die. Literally, he plays

two of them: Vito Genovese and Frank Costello were actual mafiosi and dons of the Genovese and Luciano crime families, respectively. In development for almost 50 years, the film recounts the downfall of the classic Italian crime families which were the basis for The Godfather

The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie

This hand-drawn animation project was rescued from the chopping block at Warner Brothers and is now getting raves from critics. Voice actor Eric Bauza does double duty as Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, who are out to save a world menaced by alien invaders, led by veteran voicer Peter MacNicol. But really, the plot is just an excuse for 91 minutes of glorious gags.

Miller, age 37, last known address 6706 Silhouette Ave, Memphis Tennessee 38115. A divorce has been filed against you by Ethan Miller in the Circuit Court of St. Mary’s County, Maryland (Case Number: C-18FM-24-000801). You have a right to enter your appearance into the case, failure to do so could cause a default judgement to be entered in favor of Mr. Miller.

BUY, SELL, TRADE

WANTED: OLD WINDUP Victrolas & old 45 & 78 records. Call Paul 901-734-6111.

AUTO

AUTO AUCTION

Wanda C’s Towing, 3614 Jackson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38108, on Friday, March 21 at 2pm. 2015 Nissan Versa VIN 3N1CN7AP0FL896771

LEGAL NOTICE

All parties holding claims on the following vehicles should contact Bobo’s Towing & Services at 901-3798379 within (10) days of notice.

VIN: 4T1BF3EK6BU7762102011 TOYO

VIN: 1FTEW1EF7FFA787082015 FORD

VIN: 1FAHP2D95DG1921962013 FORD

VIN: JTMZD33V8850856112008 TOYO

VIN: 2C3CDXCT8GH2270092016 DODGE

VIN: WDBTK75G74T0243052004 MERC

VIN: JHMCM56367C0198852007 HONDA

NOTICE OF SALE

THESE ABANDONED VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 03/28/2025 at Null’s Towing, 992 Stage Ave., Memphis, TN 38127.

2018 Kia Stinger

VIN: KNAE15LA1J6012206

2008 Cadillac CTS

VIN: 1G6DV57VX80155476

2016 Hyundai SONATA VIN: 5NPE34AF1GH380860

2017 Nissan Maxima

VIN: 1N4AA6AP1HC444164

2018 Subaru Outback

VIN: 4S4BSANC6J3275816

2025 Kia Sorento VIN: 5XYRG4JC5SG339241

Carter Crooks, Emma Blau, Kache Brooks, and Lauren Arnold Bell

Let’s

Do Something

Together we can ght the youth overdose epidemic.

Overdoses have been the third leading cause of death in youth under age 20 since 2020, and a vast majority of youth overdose deaths are unintentional. Over 60 percent of youth aged 10 to 19 who overdose do so at home, more than two-thirds of the time a bystander is present, and less than one-third of the time someone gives the overdosing teen the life-saving overdose reversal medication naloxone. Overdose deaths have increased rapidly, not only among 15- to 24-year-olds but also 10- to 14-year-olds across the United States. Concerning amounts of fentanyl in the drug supply make even experimenting with one pill deadly.

Here in Memphis, overdoses have taken the lives of many of our friends, colleagues, patients, and loved ones. Overdoses in Shelby County almost tripled from a rate of 22 per 100,000 in 2017 to 65 per 100,000 in 2022, and Shelby County su ered the highest number of fatal overdoses across Tennessee counties between 2020 and 2022. But we have decided to do something about the overdose epidemic in our backyard.

in Shelby County almost tripled between 2017 and 2022. THE LAST WORD By

We are the Youth Overdose/Opioid Taskforce (YOOT), a group of Shelby County residents made up of clinicians, social workers, educators, students, behavioral health professionals, and other concerned citizens from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, and other religious backgrounds. Some of us work in harm reduction, and some with the justice system. About 8 percent of us are high school students under 18. Around two-thirds of us have tried some kind of illicit drug (including cannabis) at some point in our lives, and more than a fourth of us have lived experience using opioids illicitly. About 80 percent of us have seen a loved one, friend, or ourselves struggle with substance abuse, about a quarter of us have witnessed someone overdose, and about half of us have a family member or friend who has experienced an overdose. About one in six of us have experienced an overdose ourselves.

All of us want to make a di erence in this space.

We have been coming together every few months since January 2024, sharing space, mutual respect, and understanding with one another and putting our superpowers together. Using our diverse expertise to re ect on national, Tennessee, and Shelby County data, we discussed the root causes behind this overdose epidemic, and 48 of us voted on a list of priorities to address among the root causes. We have broken into subgroups to move forward in developing and implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce the amount of young people who die from unintentional overdose in this community.

Our current top priorities to address are:

• Insu cient youth-focused, accurate education about drugs

• Self-medicating untreated mental illness

• A lack of supervised, fun, safe spaces for youth

We encourage you to take up the call to action to address any of these priorities, whether in partnership with us or on your own. We must not, as a community, turn a blind eye to this epidemic. Join us in the ght today to save the lives of young people we love.

Connect with us for future updates about meetings and events: TikTok @yootmemphis; Facebook @YOOT Memphis; Instagram @yootmemphis; Remind: text @yoot901 to 81010; email yootmemphis@gmail.com; text (901) 860-4589.

Resources:

• If you or your adolescent are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988

• Tennessee Naloxone Program (provides con dentially mailed naloxone, a medicine that rapidly reverses opioid overdose)

• Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists (provide naloxone as well as education on how to administer)

• David Fuller: david@memphisprevention.org | (901) 484-2852; Tony Hampton: tony@memphisprevention. org | (901) 484-1649

• TN Statewide Crisis Line: (885) CRISIS-1

• TN Redline (provides referrals to addiction treatment for substance use disorder, can help you gure out where to go, including treatment information for people 18+ years old): (800) 889-9789

PHOTO: TLOVENTURES | DREAMSTIME.COM

Overdoses