GRIGGS LEGACY PROJECT
(left to right) Stephanie Wade, Carrie Tippett-Herron, and Sheryl Wallace
SHARA CLARK Editor-in-Chief
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The Griggs Legacy Project
Never Far Behind
Mark Edgar Stuart’s latest album just
PHOTO: JAMIE HARMON
Less Than Zero Hapless game adaptation Borderlands
THE fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
x AI EMISSIONS
Longtime environmentalist Scott Banbury posted a video to Facebook this week showing “the un-permitted turbines currently running at Elon Musk’s xAI facility in Memphis, spewing lowlevel ozone-forming emissions into our air that is already out of attainment [of national air quality standards].”
SOCIAL BIKIN’
e Memphis Social Bicycle Club meets every ursday at 7 p.m. at Veterans Plaza in Overton Park, according to Reddit user ChillinDylan901. “ e only important part is to make it to our destination before they run out of beer!” the poster said.
‘INSANELY RAMPANT’
Video essayist Versed compared the Memphis and Nashville economies in a YouTube video in July. e GDP of the cities were both around $65 billion in 2000, he said. Nashville exploded to $136 billion in 2023 versus Memphis’ $69 billion that year. Memphis’ “insanely rampant” crime and a consolidated Nashville government were two reasons given for the di erence.
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
{CITY REPORTER
By Kailynn Johnson
Living with HIV
e city allocated nearly $4 million this year for those living with HIV.
HIV infections continue to grow in Memphis, prompting a closer look at not only new diagnoses but also the livelihood of those currently living with the virus.
Shelby County has historically had one of the highest new infection rates for HIV in the state.
e Shelby County Health Department posted a notice on its website in May saying it had noted an “alarming increase in newly diagnosed cases of HIV in our community.”
O cials said the highest increase a ected people aged 14 to 45 and was not “spread evenly throughout the county.”
As the virus is no longer considered a “death sentence” by professionals, strides are being made to ensure that those living with HIV are able to have an enhanced quality of life in all areas, including housing.
e city’s Division of Housing & Community Development (HCD) presented its Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) grants back in July to nonpro t organizations in Memphis. According to information from the department, this funding was granted via the HCD Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF).
Close to $5.5 million was awarded to these organizations on community-based projects and initiatives through June 30, 2025. ese grant awards included the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), HOME-Funded Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (HOME-TBRA), Neighborhood Partnership Grant (NPG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA).
HOPWA grants totaled $3,755,700 with organizations Friends For All receiving $1.7 million, Hope House Day Care Center Inc. receiving close to $1.6 million, and Case Management Inc. receiving $449,400.
Lenox Warren, CEO of Hope House, said out of all their programs, housing has the most “immediate and huge” impact for families, and funding from the city will help increase the number of people they’re able to help.
e organization opened in 1995 and started as a day care center for mothers living with HIV who needed childcare, Warren said.
“It has quickly evolved into so much more,” Warren said. “We’re now a full-service, wraparound organization that includes a variety of services including our housing program.”
In addition to o ering mental health, education, prevention, and outreach services, Hope House has added housing aid in hopes of “breaking down barriers that come [with] living a healthy life with HIV,” Warren said.
Warren noted that while HIV is classi ed as a “chronic disease” as opposed to a “death sentence,” it can be more di cult to manage while living in poverty.
“If you don’t know where you’re going to send your kids the next day, where y’all are going to sleep that night, or even how you’re going to eat so you can take your medications, it’s really hard to gure out how to keep yourself healthy while also surviving day-to-day,” she said.
Yolanda Fant, housing supervisor for Hope House, said they are currently serving 74 clients, with six of those clients being added as a result of the city’s funding.
“It takes them from not being secure in where they’re going to be able to take care of their family, to knowing that they have secure housing,” Fant said. “ at also helps them to take their medication and helps with viral suppression.”
Viral suppression refers to reducing the levels of the virus in the body so that it isn’t spreadable. Warren said the viral suppression rate among the people who use their services is 13 percent higher than the rate across the city.
Warren said they are always seeking funding from other sources as there is always a need for these services. ey’ve historically had “hundreds” of people on the wait-list for their housing program, with Fant saying she turns “at least three people away” a day. Warren reiterated that they plan to expand these services with the help of their HOPWA grant.
PHOTO: TIERRA MALLORCA | UNSPLASH
In May, the Shelby County Health Department noted an “alarming increase in newly diagnosed cases of HIV in our community.”
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Theatre Conservatory
The MJCC Theatre Conservatory provides an array of general and pre-professional theatrical programs for kids and adults.
Acting: Ages 5–Adult Classes start August 22!
Fairy Tale Movement Style: Ages 5–7 Classes start August 21!
BFA Audition Prep: Ages 16–18 Classes start September 9!
Musical Theatre Dance: Ages 5–Adult Classes start August 22!
Improv: Ages 18+ Classes start October 10!
Stage Combat: Ages 11–15 Classes start November 4!
Hip Hop: Ages 8–10 Classes start October 30!
To learn more and register: www.jccmemphis.org/Theatre
6560 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38138 jccmemphis.org • (901) 761-0810
{CITY REPORTER
By Kailynn Johnson
Engaging the Street
Organizer Keedran Franklin helps Memphis gang members bring their ideas on xing citywide problems to the fore.
Looking to x citywide problems, organizer Keedran Franklin has taken the initiative to organize around one speci c “marginalized and apathetic” group — that of street organizations.
He explained that what most people refer to as “gangs,” members call “street organizations.” Franklin added that people o en count them out, but in reality they are “innovative, smart, and strong.” He hopes he is able to create different programs and systems for these communities, as he saw their input had been absent in decision-making.
“Last year I had a few talks with a couple of billionaires,” Franklin said. “What they stated was they’re afraid to deal directly with the community. eir fear is that people only want to be gang members and cause destruction.”
belly.” Franklin’s goal in hosting this event was to have a “meeting of the minds while breaking bread.”
While community events with the purpose of providing unity are not new to the city, Franklin’s intention with his iteration was to engage members of different street organizations to “show up with love” for a “day of relaxation” that would also encourage these groups to transform the way they look at decisionmaking in “[their] respective spaces.”
“It was all smiles — not one frown that day, not one argument,” Franklin said. “We had di erent organizations there. ese are guys that you would think are in opposition or at war with each other, so that was to show that’s not true — trying to change the narrative.”
succeed.
However, he said, this rationale doesn’t consider that, as a result of being le out and ostracized for so long, members of street organizations are inclined to lean into public perception, as opposed to working to change people’s mind about them. Everyone has issues they deal with, he said, and if they dealt with the issues at hand, the crime issues in the city could “work themselves out.”
is led Franklin to try to change this crime-motivated perception of this demographic not only by the public, but also by those members. He knew if you actually speak and engage with some of them, you’ll nd out how they can show up, with good ideas, too.
“ ere’s respect across the board,” Franklin said. “ ere are people who are like-minded across di erent fences. ey want to do things di erently also.
at’s what I’ve been doing — this show of public support, of getting guys on the street in the open, and letting them not be afraid to organize and show themselves in a positive light.”
At the end of July, Franklin hosted a “Community Unity Barbeque” where he invited community members to “bring an open mind and a hungry
e barbecue gave these organizations the opportunity to “break bread” in one place; Franklin also wanted to encourage them to create change in their own backyards. is led to him and others planning the “MemUnity Street Sweep Clean-Up” on Sunday, August 11th, from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Instead of us all showing up and congregating all in one place, we’re taking these ideas and we’re doing them in our area, our homes, and streets we grew up in or frequent,” Franklin said. e support for the cleanup rapidly grew with multiple neighborhoods participating, from people in North Memphis, Frayser, and elsewhere.
“For the community to see this effort take place all over the city, and for the people involved to see the goals we set become a reality, it’ll spiral into the next event, which is a street conference at the end of August,” Franklin said.
PHOTO: KEEDRAN FRANKLIN | FACEBOOK A group gathered for the “Community Unity Barbeque.”
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SPORTS By Frank Murtaugh
Phil’s FESJC
Our annual PGA tournament brings a special friend to life.
This is arguably the greatest week of the year for Memphis sports. Seventy of the nest golfers on the planet arrive in the Blu City for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the rst of three playo tournaments to decide the winner of this year’s FedEx Cup. Masters champion Scottie Sche er will be here. Xander Schau ele — winner of the PGA Championship and the British Open — will be here. So will Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Justin omas. Memphis is the center of the golf universe for a precious, if humid, weekend.
I always think of Phil Cannon when the FESJC rolls around. We lost the longtime tournament director much too soon (in 2016), but Phil’s imprint on the event lives on, and in ways that go beyond any plaque or statue. e hundreds of volunteers who make you feel like the tournament belongs to you, personally? at’s Phil Cannon’s in uence. A media center equipped with every tool a reporter might need to best share a story? at’s Phil Cannon’s in uence. And the ongoing bonds between our tournament and both St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and FedEx? at’s Phil Cannon’s priority list, living and breathing, making the FESJC distinct from any other golf tournament in the world.
Phil was the primary source for my very rst feature in Memphis Magazine, way back in June 1994. He treated me like a veteran scribe in town for Sports Illustrated. I have little doubt every writer who crossed his path would tell you the same thing. Phil Cannon was a Memphis treasure. When the FESJC makes sports headlines every summer, I’m reminded that he still is.
at lone red chair on the right- eld blu ? at’s where Albert Pujols (yes, that guy) hit a baseball to win the 2000 Paci c Coast League championship for Memphis. But there’s no plaque to tell a new fan why September 15, 2000, is an important date in Memphis sports history. Just an oddly placed red seat.
And how about a reminder (poster?) that Yadier Molina played here, and actually caught his rst game with Adam Wainwright on the mound at AutoZone Park? ( e two broke the major-league record for starts by a battery in 2022.) You might recognize highlights of David Freese from the 2011 World Series. Did you know Freese hit game-winning home runs in the 2009 PCL playo s, helping Memphis to its second championship? A visual reminder would make AutoZone Park a better, happier place.
• e Memphis Redbirds unveiled a new sign on the out eld wall at AutoZone Park last Saturday, a tribute to the 1938 Negro American League champion Memphis Red Sox. It made for a glorious night at the ballpark, Memphis beating Gwinnett, 8-2, while wearing uniforms commemorating the city’s Negro League team of days gone by.
It’s a good start for a franchise and facility that desperately needs to better embrace the history we’ve seen over the ballpark’s rst quarter-century.
• e U.S. Olympic basketball teams (men and women) both brought home gold medals from the Paris Games. Salute to LeBron James, Breanna Stewart, and the many future Hall of Famers who handled the uncomfortable role of heavy favorite and made it to the podium. It makes for a good time to remind voters for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame that Memphis legend Penny Hardaway is the only member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team — also gold medalists — not currently enshrined. e only one. Mitch Richmond is in the Hall of Fame, for crying out loud, but not Penny Hardaway. Let’s get this corrected.
Phil Cannon
Elon-Gate
Acknowledging the Musk ox in the room.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the rst time.”
— Maya Angelou
Here we are, less than 90 days away from a nation-de ning election, and the world’s richest man is showing us who he is, every single day. I’m speaking about Elon Musk, the South African mega-billionaire behind Tesla cars, SpaceX rocketry, and xAI, the world’s largest supercomputer, now operating in Memphis.
Musk also runs X, formerly Twitter, the world’s biggest news and chat app, and herein lies a problem. I’m still using X, sometimes against my better judgment, given the amount of racist, misogynist, and white supremacist content that streams from the site. I delete and block posts (and posters) every single day, but there’s always a steady torrent of horrible content, much of it generated by bots and AI.
So why am I still on X? Because it’s still the best place for an information junkie like me to get breaking news. I follow all the major news outlets’ X accounts, plus a couple thousand journalists and writers whose views and reporting I respect, as well as lots of local folks with smart (and o en funny) takes on Memphis politics, sports, food, and entertainment. Still, it’s a ood of information, much of it worthless or worse, and you have to be diligent in mining the diamonds from the dreck. Even when X was Twitter, before Musk bought it for a sweet $44 billion and changed the name, it had lots of crap posts, but the policing of intentional disinformation and vile Nazi-ish stu was better, and it was usually taken down quickly. Now, not so much. at’s mainly because Musk has taken a hands-on approach to the site, and under the guise of “free speech,” he is consciously permitting, and even encouraging, posts that tra c from the far fringes of the right-wing, white supremacist world.
posts an obviously racist meme and asks — a la Tucker Carlson — “Is this true?
Just asking.”
And it’s not like he’s hiding his intentions. He’s got 194 million followers! (When you join X, you get Musk’s posts and reposts automatically, unless you intentionally unfollow him.) His personal account is a fount of racism, misleading statistics, and outright lies. O en, Musk
Musk is a Trump supporter, of course. He o en reposts anti-Kamala Harris tropes, including those that are obviously false or misleading. On Monday, he hosted Trump for a two-hour “interview” on X, during which Musk lavished praise and admiration for Trump’s “honesty,” among other insane comments. Musk’s politics would be anathema to most of the residents of this decidedly blue city, I suspect, but make no mistake, Musk is here, and in a big way. Needless to say, I’m not a fan, either. He seems weirdly and dangerously unbalanced. And speaking of fans (and clumsy segues), Musk is now running a bunch of non-permitted gas turbines to power his Memphis supercomputer from its site in South Memphis. ey are noisy and are sending gassy fumes into the atmosphere 24 hours a day. I urge you to read Sam Hardiman’s well-reported Daily Memphian story from last Saturday. Citing a “source close to the company … who is not authorized to speak publicly,” the DM said xAI had determined it had the right to run the nonpermitted turbines for 364 days. e DM story also quoted the Greater Memphis Chamber on the matter: “XAI obtained o cial guidance that based on federal, state, and local regulations that permitting would not be required for this temporary solution to use turbines for testing its supercomputer.” How nice. Let’s hope this deal works out for the bene t of the city, and not just for xAI. I have my doubts. Musk is just not a Memphis kind of guy. He’s a Trump kind of guy, with similar baggage. Need more proof? Consider this recent Musk repost from Daniel Concannon, the self-titled “World’s Most Unbearably White Man”: “White people have been taught that white people are evil and everyone else is good. Non-white people have been taught that white people are evil and everyone else is good. at’s not divide and conquer. at’s ‘Kill Whitey.’” Musk added a single comment: “True.”
Elon Musk is showing us who he is, folks. It would behoove Memphis — and the rest of the world — to believe him.
MEMPHIS presents “GREASE”
PHOTO: ELON MUSK | X Elon Musk’s avatar on X
The
GRIGGS Legacy Project
After sitting vacant for 30 years, the former Griggs Business and Practical Arts College building awaits a new vision.
COVER STORY By Abigail Morici PHOTOGRAPHS By Justin Fox Burks
Near the corner of Vance Avenue and Danny omas Boulevard, you can’t miss the faded blue sign that extends toward the sky. Among the vacant lots and gra tied abandoned buildings on the block, that sign, in its art deco style, is one of the few surviving hints at what once was a vibrant neighborhood and community. Its letters don’t light up in neon anymore, but it once read Griggs Business College. Griggs Business and Practical Arts College, to be precise, would be the white Italianate building behind that sign at 492 Vance. Chartered in 1944 by Emma Griggs, the college was initially one of three Black colleges in Memphis, the others being the now-demolished Henderson Business College and LeMoyne College, which later merged with what would become Owen College. More than 1,000 Black men and women received their education at Griggs. In 1971, though, with declining enrollment numbers and under nancial hardship, the college closed its doors. In 1974, the 492 Vance property was sold to the Blu City Elks Lodge, who remained there for
close to 10 years, but it’s changed hands multiple times since then, remaining empty since the late 1980s.
And yet, even as the building itself has become a shell of its old grandeur, its front steps cracking, tree rot taking over the grounds, the inside losing semblance of a once livable space, the college and its legacy hasn’t been forgotten. Over the years, Carrie Tippett-Herron, who graduated from Griggs in 1967, sometimes would drive by the school, curious to see if anything had happened to her old stomping grounds. “Not only me, but a lot of other [alumni] would come down, drive down through here sometimes,” she says.
But alumni weren’t the only ones paying attention to the property. In 2016, Stephanie Wade, a native of Memphis, discovered Griggs, not knowing anything about its history. “I think a lot of people have seen it but don’t know anything about it,” she says. “It’s hard to miss because it’s on a hill. It has a presence. And that’s what happened to me. I was living Downtown and I wanted to get into real estate. And I began paying more attention to the community and the buildings and
such. And this one just always stood out to me. It just called to me. It felt like it refused to be forgotten.”
By 2020, Wade found out the property was set for demolition to make way for a gas station. “I’m not the kind of person that’s like, someone should do something,” she says. “I’m always like, if I feel something should be done, then what am I doing about it? So from there, it just kind of snowballed. … At that point, my heart was in it, and, no matter if it made sense or not, something had to be done.”
So Wade bought 492 Vance as her rst development project, with plans to turn the building into one that is multi-use and that can serve the community as it stands today. For this, the Griggs Legacy Project, she’s engaged the help of alumna Tippet-Herron; Sheryl Wallace, president of the relatively new Property, Power, and Preservation (P3); and others. It’s a community e ort, she recognizes.
“I feel like we, as the Black and Brown community, need more representation in the built environment,” she says, “to be able to see di erent places that we were a part of, that are a part of our communities. And when you see something like this, you begin to think, ‘What is that? What happened?’ And it’s just by happenstance. You didn’t go to a museum or you didn’t go to some place to learn more about your own culture. You were just walking up the street, going down the street, and realized or saw something that piqued your curiosity. And so I feel like that’s where I want to
make a di erence. is is one of the ways to do it.”
A BRIEF HISTORY
It’s tting that the Griggs Legacy Project, which is spearheaded by women, nds its origins in the little-known history of Emma J. Griggs (1873-1948). “Emma is a gure in her own right,” Wallace says. “And that’s something to say for a woman in that time.”
A lifelong student and educator, Emma grew up in Virginia and, writes Antoinette G. van Zelm in Emma J. Griggs: A Lifelong Commitment to African American Education in Nashville and Memphis, “it is likely that her parents [who were probably born into slavery] instilled in her a deep love of education, no doubt sharing the reverence for learning that has been documented among Civil War-era African Americans, especially those formerly enslaved, in the South.”
Emma would go on to marry Sutton E. Griggs, a well-known Baptist minister, writer, orator, and civil rights leader, in 1897. In 1889, the couple relocated from Emma’s Virginian hometown to Nashville,
Tennessee, where Sutton served as pastor of the First Baptist Church and Emma founded a small school.
In 1913, they moved to Memphis for Sutton to take over leadership of the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Emma, for her part, ran a “practical arts school” out of their home and later out of the church, teaching cooking, stenography, personal services, and performance arts to classes of women. Its rst commencement ceremony was held in May of 1916; this would be the beginning of what would become Griggs Business and Practical Arts College.
At the onset of the Great Depression, the couple moved to Texas, and just three years later, in 1933, Sutton died at the age of 61. Emma returned to Memphis, and she came with a goal: to establish a school in his honor.
Soon a er, she opened a small school at 741 Walker, later moving the facility to a few other addresses. She added business classes and launched a funding campaign, and by 1944 she’d chartered the school as the Griggs Business and Practical
continued on page 12
Carrie Tippet-Herron (top right, le page), Stephanie Wade (above), and Sheryl Wallace (circle) are the women behind the Griggs Legacy Project, which will renovate the site of the former Black college.
continued from page 11
Arts College. The following year, Griggs established its campus at 303 South Lauderdale, where it would be until Emma’s death in 1948.
Notably, Emma did all this while living within a segregated city systematically set against her. Jim Crow reigned, and the threat of racial violence cast a shadow over Black people’s livelihoods. Just one year after seeing the first class graduate from her practical arts school in 1916, Memphis succumbed to extreme violence in the lynching of Ell Persons, one of the most vicious lynchings in history, which led to the creation of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP. The site of the lynching would be approved for the National Register of Historic Places the same day as Griggs in 2023.
“I must say it hit me hard during the national register process to get it listed [as a historic site],” Wade says. “We went to Nashville when the state approved it [last spring], and it hit me hard to hear them talk about Emma because I believe during her time she didn’t get the credit she deserved. So to finally hear someone else say her name out loud for her contributions — and not Mrs. Sutton Griggs or Mrs. Griggs, kind of always behind his shadow — she was getting recognition on her own of what she was able to achieve. To hear them say that, I almost came to tears.”
Today, a portrait of Emma by David Yancy III is spray-painted across the front door, a reminder to all who cross the threshold of the woman who started it all.
THE SCHOOL
Tippet-Herron, who once walked those halls as a student when the building was in its full glory, says she learned about Emma and Sutton Griggs through word of mouth from her teachers. “I never got any books until [Wade and Wallace] came here to teach us. See how it works? Things are beginning to come full circle now, with what [the Griggs Legacy Project is] doing.”
Each morning before classes at Griggs, Tippet-Herron’s father and sons would help her up the steps before they went off to their construction job and she went off to learn; her stepmother would make all of their lunches. “When we got out of school, [my father] would be right down at the steps, him and the boys waiting on me to come out, his station wagon full of paint cans,” she says.
Tippet-Herron had enrolled in the college after earning a scholarship through the Urban League and her church. Among her classes were English, business law, accounting, mimeograph, and personality. “The worst thing I did was the shorthand. I could write it out, but I couldn’t read it,” she says. “They laughed at me.”
There was also that one accounting problem. “I worked and worked and worked and every time I came out a penny short. And one day Reverend Gaston [director of the school] got up and told me at
church, ‘Miss Carrie,’ he said. ‘Come here. Come to the office, and we’re going to pray for you.’ He said, ‘Why are you always crying?’ He said, ‘Nobody that I have ever known has ever solved [that professor’s] problems.’ He said, ‘You stop that crying.’”
Even with that one problem and shorthand, Tippet-Herron describes her experience at Griggs as “great.” “It was a blessing,” she says. “Because the math, the law part, and everything helped me deal with the job that I had at Levi Strauss. … My business law professors would say, ‘You gotta really know what you’re doing. You gotta understand the things that come before you. You gotta know what to do, how to handle it.’ … So Griggs helped me; Griggs helped me to set my life on a wonderful path.”
Hundreds of alumni, a number of them veterans, can surely say the same. A few notable graduates include Kathryn Bowers, who served as a Tennessee state representative from 1994 to 2006; MaryAnn Johnson, the first Black woman to head the music administration department at Twentieth Century Fox; J.P. Murrell, a local music promoter, co-owner of the Harlem House restaurant chain, and 1975 Urban League “Man of the Year”; Rev. Lee Rogers Pruitt, for 40 years the pastor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church (the same congregation that Sutton Griggs had served decades earlier); and Julian C. Benson, who was appointed assistant Shelby County jury commissioner in 1973 and in 1980 became the commission’s first African-American chairman.
When the school closed, TippetHerron says, “We were all sad. The whole church was sad.”
492 VANCE
Emma Griggs never saw Griggs College at 492 Vance, where Tippet-Herron attended school. Emma’s successors purchased the property in 1949, a year after her death. The building was originally built in 1858 as a private residence for attorney Joseph Gregory, whose family lived there for some 50 years in what was the mostly white and affluent neighborhood of Vance-Pontotoc at the time. By the 20th century when Griggs College moved in, the neighborhood had become a hub for African Americans after most of its white residents moved eastward as the city grew.
According to Tippet-Herron, who grew up in the area, it was a thriving community, full of residential businesses like Bodden & Company School of Tailoring, Little John’s Cabs, and Leon’s Supermarket. “There was a florist, too,” she says. “She taught floral arranging. She didn’t have a school, but she had a flower shop and taught the young girls how to do flowers.
“There’s a lot of history here,” she says. “This man would go through the neighborhood and pick up old shoes that were thrown away — the brown-andwhite, black-and-white saddle oxfords. He would fix them up, cut the soles, and give them away to children. He was so
talented. at’s the kind of history that people don’t know about. And it was in this area around here.”
As the years went on, and as white ight led to the deconcentration of wealth within historic African American communities and urban renewal displaced middle-class African-American neighborhoods, the neighborhood lost its vibrancy. Indeed, the Vance-Pontotoc Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for the architectural signicance of buildings like 492 Vance, but was delisted in 1987 as res and demolition scourged the area.
Be it fate or happenstance, the Griggs College building remained through it all, and now thanks to the work of the Griggs Legacy Project, it will remain for years to come. “ ere’s a need not to let our legacies go,” says Wallace. “We need to hold on to our history as much as possible. Henderson no longer stands.”
Henderson, one of the two other Black colleges at the time, faced many of the same struggles as Griggs and was demolished a er its closure in 1971. LeMoyneOwen College is the only historically black college and university (HBCU) remaining in the city.
“But we lucked out with Griggs because the building is here [even though the college is not],” Wallace says. “It’s like, whoa, this is a hidden treasure that we need to let the people know about again. Let’s get excited about it again. Memphis has grown so much. is area has grown as well, so we feel like this is a perfect place to start again.”
Wallace, for her part, has always been interested in history, but, like Wade, did not know much about the school prior to working on this project, despite being a lifelong Memphian. She’s now the president of Property, Power, and Preservation (P3), a nonpro t founded last year with a focus on historical preservation. Working on the Griggs Legacy Project has been their rst endeavor.
“One of the challenges that we face is collecting the history,” Wallace says, pointing out that a lot of what they do know about Griggs has been piecemealed together through archival research. “ ere’s not that much documentation that you can really nd. It would be great if we could get more dialogue about it.”
Wallace hopes more alumni like Tippet-Herron and their families will reach out with stories; she dreams of getting her hands on a yearbook, a diploma, or a graduation gown. “You never know what you’ll nd when you start going through attics,” she says.
“And a lot of its history is passing,” Wade adds. “It’s a sign of the aging population. Capturing as much as we can before it’s all gone would be great.”
KEEPING A PURPOSE
While much of historical preservation is about the past, it’s also geared toward the present and the future. e women behind
the Griggs Legacy Project see its history not as stagnant but as a sustaining, lifegiving foundation for them to build upon.
“My hope for the project is that it’s not just a building, but it serves the community,” Wallace says. “It’s something that’s needed.”
ey plan to preserve the historical integrity of the 4,200-square-foot building, keeping as many of its Italianate features as they can, but also reimagining its purpose. It’ll be a multi-use building of some kind, though what exactly is unknown. It could see some apartments on the second oor; it could house a technology incubator. “I would like to see maybe a store with a focus on health,” Wallace says. “Being that we are in this particular neighborhood, you have to think about all the issues faced with not being able to have healthy foods [readily accessible].”
Whatever form the building will take, Wallace and Wade know the space will be for the community. “It’s always been a community e ort,” Wade says. “ e community has always been a part of it, every step, every piece, and that’s why we have this partnership. When Sheryl [Wallace] and I talk, it’s always, ‘How can we do this collectively?’ ere are so many di erent organizations doing things in the neighborhood. ere’s Steve Nash at Advance Memphis. ere’s MIFA a couple of blocks east. ere’s Streets Ministries a couple of blocks west. ere’s the [Historic] Clayborn Temple.
“I think there’s such a negative connotation around the word ‘developers,’” Wade adds. “I understand why, and I’m just trying to paint a di erent narrative because it doesn’t always have to be that way. I think development can be great.”
For Wade, whose background is in urban planning and community programming, this is her rst development project; it’s her baby. (As Tippet-Herron jokes in good nature, it’s in the crawling stages right now, set to start construction possibly next year.) But Wade wants to do it right. at means making sure the project is, yes, community-driven, but also environmentally sustainable. “ is project is de nitely not your regular real estate development,” Wade says. “It’s so much more meaningful and purposeful in every aspect of it, in the use of what’s going to be here, in the construction, how we make sure we’re paying attention to the history of it, but then also making it sustainable, environmentallyfriendly, both the in construction materials and in the process.”
Preservation Fund, administered by the Department of Interior’s National Park Service, as well as a $300,000 Tennessee Historic Development Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. ese grants have made a huge difference when it comes to nancing the Griggs project, Wade says. “You don’t have to cut costs. You could just go the cheapest route, but, no, we were able to get a grant for this, so we can really be intentional about how we do this. When you take on debt where you’re like, ‘We’ve only have so much money, and we need to get this thing going,’ you start cutting corners because you’ve have to start paying back the debt.
“ is work is not easy,” she adds, “and for me, if I’m putting that much time and energy into something, it has to be purposeful. And, of course, I don’t want to go into debt with any of it, but I mean, there’s a way, right?”
Wallace and Wade hope to secure more funding and they hope the community shows up, too. “We may need pro bono services at rst, until we can get up on our feet and get additional funds and then start paying out,” Wallace says. at may look like someone providing lawn-care or helping with the documentary they plan to make.
“I would love to get back to what it was as we were hearing from Ms. Carrie [Tippet-Herron],” Wade adds. “It was really a community. You had neighbors and businesses and churches working together, supporting each other.”
When asked about her hopes for the project, Tippet-Herron beams. “I’ll tell you my beliefs. I believe it’s going to be successful and it’s gonna help revitalize not just
Needless to say, an initiative of this caliber will cost a lot. So far, the Griggs project has secured $750,000 in funding from the African American Civil Rights grant program through the Historic
The building at 492 Vance, built in the 1850s, began its life as a private residence before it served as Griggs College’s campus in what once was a vibrant community. Today, the property is flanked by empty lots, a sign of the losses wrought by urban renewal.
warriors. It’s gonna
this little area but the whole area of this section of the city of Memphis,” she says. “When I feel like it, I’m gonna call my buddies, my prayer come to fruition.”
gmail.com.
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
All’s Fair at the Ren Faire
By Abigail Morici
Hear ye, hear ye, by a royal-in-spirit decree, all subjects of Memphis are invited to the Renaissance Faire this Saturday at Wiseacre Brewing Company. e day will have “live music, a mermaid, face painting, dancers, a queen who will knight fair-goers, and armored knights doing demonstrations,” says event organizer Ashley Riley. “ ere will also be several vendors selling medieval garb, jewelry, and accessories, as well as plenty of food vendors — including the iconic turkey leg, a staple at any Renaissance fair.” e event also promises to be family-friendly, and costumes are encouraged — for kids and adults alike. “I’ve never been to a Renaissance fair before,” Riley admits, “but it’s something I’ve always wanted to experience. I know Memphis loves a good themed event, and with so many costume possibilities — from fairies and knights to pirates and jesters — the Ren Faire seemed like a perfect choice.”
Further, the Renaissance Faire is an opportunity to support students experiencing homelessness, the number of whom doubled in Memphis since the pandemic to around 2,100. In her role working with EverDriven, an organization that, in partnership with school districts, provides transportation to students experiencing homelessness and students with special needs, Riley says, “I regularly meet with homeless liaisons from across the Mid-South and hear their stories and those of the students they support. One thing that’s consistently mentioned is the need for school supplies.”
So, even though the event is free to attend, fair-goers are encouraged to bring school supplies to donate; you can also nd a few local teachers’ classroom wish lists on the event’s Instagram page (@renaissancefairememphis).
“We hope everyone who attends this Ren Faire experiences a strong sense of community,” adds Riley, who had the help of Allie Trotter, Wiseacre’s manager; Caity Luman, a professional theater costume designer and local jewelry artist; and several volunteers in launching the event. “By donning our Renaissance garb, dancing, enjoying the entertainment, and supporting the amazing venue, we’re all contributing to something bigger — a cause that gives back to our community. I hope people leave feeling inspired and upli ed, knowing that they’ve been part of something positive for the most vulnerable in our community.”
RENAISSANCE FAIRE, WISEACRE BREWING COMPANY, 2783 BROAD AVE, SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1-6 P.M., FREE.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES August 15th - 21st
Candlelight Vigil
Gates of Graceland, 3734 Elvis Presley Blvd., ursday, August 15, 8:30 p.m., free
e annual Candlelight Vigil is the cornerstone event for Elvis Week each year, drawing thousands of fans to the gates of Graceland on the eve of Elvis Presley’s passing.
A er an opening ceremony at the gates of Graceland, fans are invited to walk up the driveway to Elvis’ grave-site and back down carrying a candle in quiet remembrance. Gates remain open until all who wish to participate in the procession have done so, which typically takes until the early morning hours of August 16th, the anniversary of Elvis’ passing. e Candlelight Vigil will be open for all to attend. No special passes or wristbands are required to participate in the Candlelight Vigil. All guests will be required to pass
through a security checkpoint.
Graceland provides free candles to those who arrive at the vigil without their own. ese may be obtained in the early evening of August 15th at the barricaded area at the front gate before the ceremony and anytime during the vigil.
Wurlitzer Silent Movie: e Phantom of the Opera
Orpheum eatre, 203 South Main St., Friday, August 16, 7 p.m., $10/ suggested donation Join the Orpheum eatre for an unforgettable evening as Tony omas and the Mighty Wurlitzer organ provide live accompaniment to the 1925 silent horror lm, e Phantom of the Opera. In this classic, aspiring young opera singer Christine Daaé discovers that she has a mysterious admirer intent on helping her become a lead performer: the Phantom, a horribly
dis gured recluse who lives underneath the Paris Opera House. From suspenseful chases to tender moments, the Orpheum’s Mighty Wurlitzer Organ will transport audiences to the heart of the Phantom’s mysterious world. Donations bene t the maintenance and preservation of the Mighty Wurlitzer.
Shelby County A to Z: Community Expo
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Avenue, Saturday, August 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free Join Kifani Press for a fun- lled day at the Shelby County A to Z: Community Expo. is event will showcase everything our community has to o er from A to Z. Discover local businesses, organizations, and resources while enjoying live entertainment, book giveaways, interactive activities, and free services.
PHOTO: AUSTIN LOWMAN | UNSPLASH Costumes are encouraged.
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Never Far Behind
S
ome artists ponder making albums, wondering if they have enough material, enough musicians, or enough money. But when you’re a player on the level of bassist Mark Edgar Stuart, always staying busy with one project or another and forever mingling with other musos at gigs and in studios, albums sometimes just fall together. One recording session here, another there, and eventually the whole thing snowballs.
at’s how Stuart’s latest release, Never Far Behind, came about, as the singer-songwriter himself admits. “I didn’t really mean to put out another record,” he says. “I thought I was done for a little bit. And then this record just sort of happened.”
ings like that tend to occur when you’re part of a crack studio band, as Stuart is — in this case at Bruce Watson’s Delta-Sonic Sound studio, where Stuart, as a member of the Sacred Soul Sound Section, plays bass behind artists like Elizabeth King on the Bible & Tire Recording Co. He can also be heard on secular Watson-related projects, some of which end up on Big Legal Mess Records. ere’s always music cooking over at Delta-Sonic. And at times Stuart would show up only to nd his own material on the menu.
“It was really friendly. … I’m really happy with it, probably more so than anything I’ve done in a long time.”
“Over the past two years, my buddies and I would get in the studio — Will [Sexton] and Bruce and that whole crew. We just slowly recorded tracks,” Stuart says. “I kind of felt like the universe produced it, you know? Will was the official producer, but every session was just last minute. Will would say, ‘Hey, what are you doing tomorrow? Bruce is in town, I’m here, let’s record some songs!’ And I’m on the phone going, ‘Well, who’s going to be the band?’ So it was pretty much whoever was available at any given moment. Then three months would go by, and Will would go, ‘Hey, we’re in the studio now working on your record! What are you doing?’ I’d say, ‘Oh, shit, I guess I’d better get down there!’”
at approach made Never Far Behind one of Stuart’s most collaborative e orts, including songs he co-wrote with Sexton, Jed Zimmerman, and, perhaps most strikingly, Greg Cartwright. “ at loose approach made for some cool combinations,” says Stuart, “like when we recorded a song that me and Greg wrote together [‘We Better Call It a Day’]. I was like, ‘Greg, you in town?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Come over!’ So he played guitar, and Amy [LaVere] played bass, and Krista [Wroten] played on it, and Shawn Zorn, and Will played the keyboards. In the studio, it wound up becoming a duet. It was just real loose and cool. Amy was going to sing backup, and all of a sudden she sang the rst verse and it was like, ‘Fuck it, a duet it is! Keep rolling!’”
at track draws on the wit and musicality of Stuart and Cartwright, two of the city’s nest songwriters, to create a kind of Eastern European lament over a failed romance, made all the more haunting by LaVere’s and Stuart’s swapped vocal lines, wistful mandolin, and atmospheric, Tom Waits-esque percussion.
Yet another track, “ e Ballad of Jerry Phillips,” grew from a would-be collaboration between Stuart and the song’s titular hero, son of Sun Records’ Sam Phillips. “I was hanging out with Jerry about a year and a half ago,” says Stuart, “and he said, ‘Man we’re gonna write a song together, and it’s gonna be called “Don’t Block Your Blessings.”’
“You know, we’re always blocking our blessings,” explains Stuart. “It’s like God’s trying to bless us, but we get in our own way. We fuck it up sometimes! Sometimes you’ve just got to let it be and just open yourself up to all the goodness. And Jerry and I were supposed to write that song together, but we couldn’t get anywhere with it. So I just turned around and wrote him a silly song about his own biography, and used the blocked blessings idea for the chorus. It came out perfect, you know?” e party atmosphere of the track, a Memphis cousin to “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” captures Phillips’ rock-and-roll spirit and epitomizes the loose recording style that shaped the entire album.
A er many months of such hilarity, an album coalesced. As Stuart describes the process, “A year and a half later, Will was like, ‘Well, we’ve got 15 songs here. … Are you going to put a record out?’ And I was like, ‘I guess we should.’ It was really friendly, you know, and that was cool. I’m really happy with it, probably more so
than anything I’ve done in a long time. Nothing against anything else I’ve done, but it’s just that cool! I think this could be it for a while. I think a er this I’m just going to get into other things.” Could Stuart really mean it this time? We’ll believe it when we see it.
Hear Mark Edgar Stuart at the 8750’ Barbecue and Music Festival in New Mexico on August 16th; the Fishstock Music Series in Wisconsin on August 25th; acker Mountain Radio Hour in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 5th; the Memphis Songwriter Series at the Halloran Centre in Memphis on September 12th; and the Mempho Music Festival on October 4th.
Mark Edgar Stuart’s latest album just happened to happen.
PHOTO: JAMIE HARMON
Mark Edgar Stuart
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule August 15 - 21
PJ Morton is winner of ve Grammys runs his own record label
Divercity
ursday, Aug. 15, 4:30 p.m. |
Sunday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Earl “The Pearl” Banks
Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m. |
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Eric Hughes
ursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Flic’s Pics Band
Led by the legendary Leroy “Flic” Hodges of Hi Rhythm.
Saturday, Aug. 17, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Aug. 18, 4 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
FreeWorld
Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
FreeWorld
Sunday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Gentry Blue
Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.
TIN ROOF
Kevin Jaggers
Friday, Aug. 16, 10:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 17, 10:30 p.m.
TIN ROOF
Soul St. Mojo
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band
ursday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
The Rockin’ 88s
Monday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Vince Johnson Monday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m. |
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
DJ Mark Farina
Mark Farina is an American disc jockey and musician, known for his Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo works. His notable releases include Mood and the Mushroom Jazz series.
Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
EIGHT & SAND
Graceland Ninjas and DJ A.D.
e nal Peabody Roo op Party of the season. ursday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
THE PEABODY HOTEL
Kata Hay
Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.
SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
Live & Local Music
Live and local music, every Wednesday night on the all-weather patio. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 7-10 p.m.
(Morton Records) and serves as Maroon 5’s full-time keyboardist. Sunday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
The Pistol & The Queen
Sunday, Aug. 18, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S DOWNTOWN
Wendell Wells
e singer/songwriter is also a cartoonist and congressional candidate. Sunday, Aug. 18, 9 p.m.
WESTY’S
The Fabulous DooVays
Sunday, Aug. 18, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S POPLAR
The New Pacemakers
Sunday, Aug. 18, 4 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
The ShotGunBillys
Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Twin Soul
Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Van Duren
e singer/songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo. ursday, Aug. 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Amy LaVere
Saturday, Aug. 17, 5 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Aquanet
Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Auteur: Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson
With saxophonist Amanda Gardier, described as “a uniquely talented jazz composer and soloist” (Nuvo).
$20, $25/DOS. Friday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Bluff City Bandits
Friday, Aug. 16, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Bodywerk
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Cardiel [Small RoomDownstairs]
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Dave Evans
Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Deana Carter
Sunday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Devil Train Bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and ski e. ursday, Aug. 15, 10 p.m.
PHOTO: SUSAN WILCOTT
Mark
Farina
FreeWorld
ursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Hope Clayburn & Soul
Scrimmage
Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Jazz Saturdays with the Memphis Jazz Workshop
Free. Saturday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Joe Restivo 4
Sunday, Aug. 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Juvenile & The 400 Degreez Band
It’s the 25th Anniversary Back at Azz Up Tour, live! $74.35/general admission. ursday, Aug. 15, 8-10 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Kickman Teddy
With Mac Real, LeShonté Pop, and Qwana James. 21+. $10.
Friday, Aug. 16, 10 p.m.
GROWLERS
Listening Event: Jerry Phillips, For The Universe
Phillips discusses his debut solo album, For e Universe, with Robert Gordon. Saturday, Aug. 17, 4 p.m.
MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
LJ Cates
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Logan Hanna Wednesday, Aug. 21, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Luna Nova “Butterflies and Bees” Concert
Matt “Heartbreak” Hill Trio
Sunday, Aug. 18, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN
Michelle Adams Benefit
A bene t for one of Midtown’s most beloved personalities. Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m.
B-SIDE
Milk St. (Bangor, ME)
With Rosey, Louise Page. $10. Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Nuclear Tomb With Grave Lurker, Ritual Fog [Small Room-Downstairs]. ursday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Obsidian With Ghost Painted Sky. Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
Sonic Fuzz
With Spoonful, Figurine [Small Room-Downstairs]. Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Southern Grind Sessions
A singer/songwriter showcase featuring Craig Campbell, Jake Smith, Shara Matlock, J.T. McCafrey, Chip Knox, Rowdy Franks, and Denver Massey. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
The Stax 926 Alumni Band
e Sounds of Memphis series presents a soulful night of unforgettable music, celebrating the golden era of Memphis soul. $18. ursday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Guest performers include former member of JD Sumner and the Stamps Quartet Larry Strickland, pop and R&B singer, songwriter, and actor Spencer Sutherland, and country singer/songwriter
Jillian Cardarelli. Friday, Aug. 16, 1 p.m.
THE GUEST HOUSE AT GRACELAND
Five for the Kill
Saturday, Aug. 17, 4 p.m.
HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA
Justin Hinson Band
Friday, Aug. 16, 9 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA
Rick Monroe & The Hitmen
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Shake the Monday Blues with Yella P Your Monday reset has arrived. $10/general admission. Monday, Aug. 19, 6-8 p.m.
SMOOTH LIVING RESTAURANT
Swing Soirée with Will Sexton
Turnstyles
Turnstyles and DJ McCalla celebrate Elvis Day. Friday, Aug. 16, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Unifya (GA) With Fading Melodies.
Sunday, Aug. 18, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Vibes: Reggae vs. Reggaeton
With DJ DY3 and Mala Leche. 18+. Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
GROWLERS
Vinyl Happy Hour
With guest DJs every Friday. Friday, Aug. 16, 3-5 p.m.
MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
Young Artists’ Summer Concert
A concert by outstanding young musicians who have been a part of Beethoven Club programs this year, followed by a party. Free. Saturday, Aug. 17, 3-4 p.m.
BEETHOVEN CLUB
Primus
With special guest Fantastic Negrito. $70. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.
GRIND CITY BREWING CO.
A show for the school skippers, hookie players, self-made millionaires, retirees, and anyone else free to enjoy their ursday. Free. ursday, Aug. 15, 4 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Tequila Mockingbird
Sunday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN
The Java Trio
Sunday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHWIND
Duane Cleveland Band
Sunday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S MILLINGTON
Grand Opening Party: Music Box Collierville Live music, door prizes, recognitions, school tours, and games. Support local arts! Friday, Aug. 16, 3-6 p.m.
MUSIC BOX COLLIERVILLE
Josh Threlkeld & Friends
Happy Hour in the Grove: Acoustic Soul. Free. Friday, Aug. 16, 5 p.m.
THE GROVE AT GPAC
Memphis Blues Society Weekly Jam
Hosted by Jackie Flora & Friends. ursday, Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m.
ROCKHOUSE LIVE
Memphis Tri-State Blues Festival
Elvis: Return to Vegas
Featuring Tucka, King George, Pokey Bear, J-Wonn, West Love, and O.B. Buchana. Saturday, Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
MOMMA’S
B-SIDE
A fun chamber music concert of music inspired by butter ies, bees, and even spiders. Composers include Rimsky-Korsakov, Robert Patterson, Jenni Brandon, Chrystal Chau, Rain Hou, and Gabe Wallerstein. Free.
Monday, Aug. 19, 7-8 p.m.
GRACE-ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Thumpdaddy
Friday, Aug. 16, 10 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Thundergun
With Pan de Muerto, Limit Switch [Small RoomDownstairs]. Sunday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Elvis on-screen with his vocals recorded live in 1969. $65/ reserved seating. Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
Elvis Unplugged: Dean Z & Friends
Dean Z takes the stage for an intimate acoustic experience with friends sharing music, laughter, stories, and fun.
Singer Songwriter
Sundays
Enjoy some of the area’s best local musicians every Sunday. Sunday, Aug. 18, 4-6 p.m.
MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY
The Bugaloos
Sunday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH
PREVENT
OVERDOSE CARRY NARCAN
Individual and Agency trainings are available
Qualifying Agencies are:
•Health Organizations
•Treatment Centers
•Churches
•Schools
•Local Businesses
•Non Profits
•Restaurants/Bars/Clubs
•Hotels etc...
I
memphisprevention.org
Out
Love
The staff at Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home takes great pride in caring for our families, and has made a commitment to provide you with a beautiful, lasting tribute to your loved one. Honoring your loved one is our top priority, and part of that is assisting you deal with grief during this difficult time.
Everyone’s needs are different, and for that reason, families can entrust their loved one’s wishes to our staff. We have a wide range of resources to support you not only today, but in the weeks and months to come. Here, everyone is welcome.
Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home
290 GOODMAN RD E • SOUTHAVEN, MS 38671
662.349.9720 • TWINOAKSFUNERALHOME.COM
CALENDAR of EVENTS: August 15 - 21
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
2023 Wilson Fellowship Artists
e Dixon’s partnership with the town of Wilson, Arkansas, awarded residencies to artists Danny Broadway, Claire Hardy, ad Lee, and John Ruskey. rough Sept. 29.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“And the Darkness Has Not Overcome It”: Works by John Roberts
Shaped by his family history, John Roberts paints to express the extraordinary within everyday environments. rough Aug. 22.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Anna Parker: “The Beauty of Pointillism”
Each painting resonates with the meticulous arrangement of dots, circles and strokes. rough Aug. 29.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Artists’ Link Summer Show
Artists’ Link members o er visitors a variety of creative subjects and artistic media to enjoy. rough Aug. 28.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Bracelets, Bangles, and Cuffs: 1948-2024”
A remarkable collection of contemporary bracelets. rough Nov. 17.
METAL MUSEUM
“Branching Out”
Discover intricate connections between students, teachers, and casting communities, which branch out much like a family tree. rough Sept. 8.
METAL MUSEUM
“Health in Enamel” emes of health, healing, and spirituality crystallize with a survey of current enamel holdings in the Metal Museum’s permanent collection. rough Sept. 29.
METAL MUSEUM
“Mission: Astronaut” Get a taste of life as an astronaut, using skills like engineering, physics, teamwork, and fun. rough Sept. 2.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
“On Paper!”
An interactive exhibition celebrating the versatility and beauty of paper as a material initiating creativity and innovation. rough Sept. 29.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Southern/Modern: 1913 - 1955”
“Southern/Modern” seeks to encourage new admiration for the region’s rich cultural heritage through paintings, drawings, and prints. Free. rough Sept. 29.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
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.
Summer Art Garden:
“Creatures of Paradise”
Memphis-based duo Banana Plastik present an environment lled with vibrant and whimsical beings. rough Oct. 26.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Summer Soirée en Violette”: New Works by Chère Labbé Doiron
Featuring the artist’s unique landscapes using vivid colors and diverse materials. Weekdays only. rough Aug. 15.
ANF ARCHITECTS
“United Streets of America”
Vibrant paintings by local artist Carol Co ey Clark. rough Aug. 24.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Works by Heather Jones
Native to Memphis, Jones creates delight-driven works using bold colors, lines, and unassuming imagery.
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. rough Aug. 29.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Zoe Nadel
Retrospective: “An Open Book”
A retrospective of the artist’s gurative collage small works.
Open Monday- urday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.12:30 p.m. rough Aug. 25.
ST. GEORGE’S ART GALLERY AT ST.
GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
I
ART HAPPENINGS
Artist Talk by John Roberts
Roberts will discuss the unusual paths his life has taken and how those relate to his current exhibition of paintings, “And the Darkness Has Not Overcome It.” Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY On Paper Community Night
Inspired by the exhibition “On Paper,” an evening of stories, art-making, performances, and information on the plants and natural resources used to make paper. Saturday, Aug. 17, 5-8 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Super Saturday: Sun Catchers and Stained Glass
Harness the power of the sun at your art museum. Free. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
BOOK EVENTS
Environmental Justice Book Club
An intergenerational book club of eco-enthusiasts for discussions surrounding climate justice and living a more
sustainable lifestyle. Saturday, Aug. 17, 2-4 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
Meet Cute Club
Chat about the rom-coms of the summer while you enjoy treats and tea and a few surprises (because every good love story needs a dash of the unexpected.) $12. Saturday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m.
NOVEL
R.J. Lee: The Majestic Leo Marble
A novel of life in conservative Mississippi and laid-back New Orleans. Protagonist Marble eventually emerges from the closet to become a journalist and advocate for gay rights and visibility. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
CLASS / WORKSHOP
A Day of Play: One Day Theatre Workshop for Adults
A one-day workshop for actors and performers of all skill levels. $30/single class, $80/ four-class package. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
THEATREWORKS AT EVERGREEN
Art Expression Classes/ Clases de Expresion
Artistica: Open House
An open house to learn about art expression classes, with bilingual instructors on hand to answer all your questions. Kids can learn theatre, ballet, and Spanish. Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-noon.
CAZATEATRO
Munch and Learn: Rose Growing Tips with Rick Pudwell
Eat lunch at the Dixon’s café while hearing presentations by local artists, scholars, and Dixon sta sharing their knowledge on a variety of topics. Wednesday, Aug. 21, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Personal Protection (Pepper Spray/Baton Class)
Not all threats require lethal force. is class is perfect for women, college students, or anyone over 16. $99. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
TOP GUN MEMPHIS
Queer & Allied Theatre
Troupe
An LGBTQ+Allied theater group for young people ages 1421. ursday, Aug. 15, 5 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
Sessions for the soul that has been silenced
A six-week transformative creative and healing writing program, designed to allow participants to process trauma and create space for authenticity and vulnerability. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6-8 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Cocktail Chronicles
A monthly bartending class with sips through time. ursday, Aug. 15, 7-8 p.m.
BAR HUSTLE AT ARRIVE MEMPHIS
Earthing 101 with Keneisha Malone
Elevate your plant parenting skills, from potting techniques to mastering lighting, caring for and propagating plants, and cra ing the perfect watering schedule. ursday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Figure Drawing (Clothed Model)
Learn about gure drawing at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. $10/member, $15/ general admission. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
First Shots HandgunLadies Only
Learn to shoot in a comfortable and safe environment with female instructors. $80. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m.noon.
TOP GUN MEMPHIS
Lunchtime Meditations
Looking for something relaxing to do to clear your mind and improve your overall health? Visit the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, Aug. 16, noon12:45 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Shakespeare Scene Study Class
A ve-week session investigating the works of Shakespeare with a monologue and scene study class that will explore verse, character, voice, group exercises, and classical acting techniques. $100. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
TENNESSEE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Silk Painting with Phyllis Boger
Inspired by Ken Burns’ PBS documentary on Leonardo da Vinci, WKNO and Creative Aging invite learners 65+ to join teaching artist Phyllis Boger for this two-part silk painting studio course. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 1 p.m. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS Ukulele Classes
Howard Vance leads this eight-week series for beginner and intermediate players. All students will receive a music book with fun tunes to play and sing. Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-noon.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
COMEDY
Calimar White White is known for delivering clever, urban and witty material. Sunday, Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 18, 10 p.m.
CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE Comedy Open Mic
Hosted by John Miller. $10. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 8 p.m. HI TONE
PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Would Have Called You Grandfather by John Roberts
Grasa100
The skit comedian, artist, and actor has captured the hearts of millions through his viral videos on social media. Thursday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m.
CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE
Liars’ Matinee
A lazy afternoon of improv comedy. 18+. $10. Sunday, Aug. 18, 3 p.m.
BLACK LODGE
Loudmouth Comedy
Stand-up comedy. No pretense. Friday, Aug. 16, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Ronnie Jordan & Gigi LeFlair: Unc and Auntie Tour
Jordan won the Walter Latham “Kings and Queens of Comedy” search in front of a soldout crowd at Madison Square Garden. Friday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 16, 10 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 17, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 p.m.
CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE
Saturday Night Showcase
A diverse and interesting lineup each week that cracks smiles, shakes heads, and causes uproarious laughter. $15. Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.
MEMPHIS CLOVER CLUB
You Look Like
It’s not a roast show; it’s a comedy competition. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 p.m.
HI TONE
COMMUNITY
Healed People Heal People Campaign
A statewide campaign to educate violence survivors about accessing victim compensation and to engage survivors and the public in a conversation about what public safety means. Friday, Aug. 16-Aug. 17.
CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH MEMPHIS
Mid-South Area Job Fair
Dress for success, be prepared for on-site interviews, bring plenty of resumes, and have a game plan. Thursday, Aug. 15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
Morrighan’s Bluff, Amtgard of Memphis
A medieval/fantasy live action roleplay game. Join the adventure. Saturday, Aug. 17, noon.
W. J. FREEMAN PARK
Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals 48th Annual Conference
Reconnect with friends and colleagues, renew your commitment to personal and professional development and OBAP’s mission, and be surrounded by a supportive community. Wednesday, Aug. 21-Aug. 23.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
Shelby County A to Z - Community Expo
Come experience a fun-filled day of exploring everything our community has to offer. Free. Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY - MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
DANCE
Line Dancing with Q
Line dancing lessons. 21+. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6-9 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
Psy Night
Immerse yourself in the hypnotic sounds of Psytrance, with dazzling visuals by Feral Perspective. 18+. Friday, Aug. 16, 9:30 p.m. BLACK LODGE
EXPO/SALES
Kids Town Consignment Sale Fall and winter children and teen clothes, toys, baby items, and so much more. Thursday, Aug. 15-Aug. 17.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
FAMILY
Family Yoga at the Garden
A fun way for parents to bond with their kids. Bring a mat and water. Free with MBG admission. Monday, Aug. 19, 10-11 a.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Kaleidoscope Club (ages 5-9)
Each week, participants will enjoy an art or horticulture project that sparks creativity and critical thinking. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 4 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Magic Carpet: On Your Toes with the Sugar Plum Fairy
Bring the kids for a morning of fun. $5. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10-11:45 a.m.
BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Mini Masters (ages 2-4)
Introduce your little ones to the arts and nature.
$8. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Mudpie Mondays
Children can craft their own mud pie using natural materials. This event is canceled if it is raining. Monday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Story Time
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, Aug. 16, 10:30 a.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
AUGUST 15 - 21
Story Time at Novel
Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to wellloved favorites. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 21, 10:30 a.m.
NOVEL
World Orangutan Day
The first 200 guests receive an orangutan plushy. Zoo keepers and education staff come face to face with guests and teach them how to be conservationists. Monday, Aug. 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
MEMPHIS ZOO
FILM
Breakin’: 40th Anniversary Screening
Joel Silberg’s 1984 film about a classicallytrained jazz dancer who’s tired of warding off her amorous teacher and hungry for a new outlet. $5. Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m.
CROSSTOWN THEATER
Migration
Grab your lawn chairs and enjoy a free movie on the Center Green at Carriage Crossing. Light refreshments will be provided and restaurants around the mall will have takeout available. Free. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m. THE SHOPS AT CARRIAGE CROSSING
Casablanca
The latest in the Movies and Brews series, in the Giant Screen Theater. Saturday, Aug. 17, 5:30 p.m.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Dinner & a Movie: The Boy and the Heron Experience Miyazaki’s epic fantasy adventure as you enjoy a five-course meal specifically designed for the event by Lodge chef and co-owner James Blair. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 5:30 p.m.
BLACK LODGE
Loving You
A ’50s flashback: dinner and a movie with Elvis! Watch Elvis in Loving You, dine on Southern favorites, and dance in ’50s attire. $100/reserved seating. Saturday, Aug. 17, 6 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
National Theatre Live: Present
Laughter
A star actor’s life is engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention. Sunday, Aug. 18, 1 p.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.
MALCO PARADISO CINEMA GRILL & IMAX
continued on page 20
Edited by Will Shortz No. 0307
ACROSS
1 Forest hatchling
6 Home of Hells Canyon and Heavens Gate Lookout: Abbr.
9 Root site
14 Chitchat
16 St. ___, only nation named for a woman
17 1968 Clint Eastwood western with six nooses on its poster
18 Much-trapped animal in wilderness America
19 It’s hardly a Champagne cooler
20 “Why ___?”
21 Highest peak in N.Z.
22 “Sick, dude!”
23 Cheer at a Texas football game
26 Exclamation usually made in a high voice
29 Enemy agency in “Get Smart”
30 Cleaner brand with the slogan “Hasn’t scratched yet!”
32 Dead spot
34 91, in old Rome
37 Toy boxer in a classic two-player game
40 Something much sold on St. Patrick’s Day
41 PBS series since 1974
42 Some long sentences
43 Emcee’s need
45 Be all thumbs?
46 “Show the world what you’ve got!”
52 Short-term job
54 Rob who directed “This Is Spinal Tap”
55 15-time N.B.A. All-Star Duncan
57 This, that or the other
58 Combine
59 “Hands in the air!” … or a literal hint to 17-, 23-, 37- and 46-Across
62 Tall, slender wineglass
63 Shapes of many car air fresheners
64 Like computer data, with “in” 65 London ___ 66 Cheeky
1 Fall color
2 “Some jerk he is!”
3 Cha cha slide, e.g.
4 Lang. of 16-Across 5 Counterfeiter trackers, in old lingo
6 “Does this seem fine to you?” 7 Jab 8 German cry
Dillydallier
Kitchen utensil brand
Best ___
Use for a bed
Partner of recreation
Like computer
Goes on
continued from page 19
The Phantom of the Opera
Orpheum house organist
Tony Thomas breathes new life into this 1925 silent movie with live organ accompaniment. $10/suggested donation. Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
Time Warp Drive-In: Comic Book Sinister - The Pitch Black Pulp of Gothic Comic Heroes
Screening Sin City, Watchmen, and The Crow. $25/ carload. Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.
MALCO SUMMER 4 DRIVE-IN
FOOD AND DRINK
Blue Christmas Pop-Up
A festive summer cool-down with the King of Rock-andRoll. Thursday, Aug. 15, 4-10 p.m. | Friday-Saturday, Aug. 16-17, 4-11 p.m.
BAR HUSTLE AT ARRIVE MEMPHIS
Canoes + Cocktails
A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks from Cheffie’s, yard games, and music.
Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers (no resellers), artisans, and live music. Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Dinner & Music Cruise
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment and a meal. $50/general admission. Thursday, Aug. 15, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 16, 7:309:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 17, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS
Memphis Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers and artisans, live music, and fun activities. Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET
Sunday Blues Lunch
Indulge in a meal while cruising down the Mississippi River. Listen to a blues band play while you take in the Memphis skyline. $50/ general admission. Sunday, Aug. 18, 11-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Get Outside! FitnessAdult Yoga
This Vinyasa style yoga class is dedicated to creating a balanced mind, body, and spirit. Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Led by Milan Vigil, this Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Get Outside! Fitness -
Flow Yoga
A fun, dynamic, and creative vinyasa flow class suitable for yogis of all ages. Thursday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside! Fitness -
Mat Pilates
A low-impact yet challenging workout that enhances your mind-body connection. Thursday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside! FitnessMental Fitness
This class offers a welldeserved break where you will clear your mind through calming breathing and guided meditation. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10:30 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Free Sana Yoga
Find your glow with an all-levels flow class that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Free. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 11-11:45 a.m.
COMEBACK COFFEE
Slow Your Roll | Saturday Morning Meditation
A serene start to your Saturday with some morning mindfulness, led by the experienced mindfulness educator Greg Graber. Free. Saturday, Aug. 17, 8-8:30 a.m.
CHICKASAW GARDENS PARK
Tai Chi
Instructor Marjean teaches gentle moves that will strengthen and calm body, mind, and soul. Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 a.m.
OVERTON PARK
Yoga
Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health benefits of light exercise with yoga instructor Laura Gray McCann. Free. Thursday, Aug. 15, 6-6:45 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Yoga on the River Experience yoga on the river as Candace guides your journey next to the mighty Mississippi. Free. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6-7 p.m.
RIVER GARDEN
LECTURE
The Pitch Paddock: Equestrian Entrepreneurial Enterprises
Hear more about the equestrian entrepreneurial projects featured in the museum’s current special exhibition. Friday, Aug. 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
PERFORMING ARTS
Come Tell A Story: Perseverance
Four storytellers will take the stage and tell stories about a time they persevered in their faith. Free. Thursday, Aug. 15, 6:30-8 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Darker Than Blue Poetry, music, and short stories with Mak of Memphis. Monday, Aug. 19, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Punk Rock the Vote! Escape the reality of the hellscape that is American politics by mocking it, in
a night that celebrates the absurdity and platforms the common downtrodden drag thing. $10. Friday, Aug. 16, 9 p.m.
HITONE
Rising Stars: “Heroes and Villains” Persephone Void takes you into the world of heroes and villains. Showcasing the newest talent in the Mid-South. Sunday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
“Starlight Cabaret”
Featuring Shanice Kelly, Mariah DaGoat, Sierra Andrews, Taye Jadore Cassadine, “Miss Oxford Pride” Pat McCooter, and Shanice R. Cassadine. Saturday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
SPECIAL EVENTS
Candlelight Vigil
Fans from all across the globe pay tribute to the memory of Elvis Presley. Free. Thursday, Aug. 15, 8:30 p.m.
GRACELAND MANSION
Conversations on Elvis
Friends of Elvis recount their time spent with the legendary king of Rock-and-Roll. $57/reserved seating. Thursday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
Elvis: Behind the Music
Take a deep dive into Elvis’ Memphis recordings and hear from guests like music historian Robert Gordon and Mike Moran, master recording engineer on the 1976 Jungle Room sessions. Saturday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m.
THE GUEST HOUSE AT GRACELAND
Live Interviews on the Memphis Princess Podcast
A chance to share your stories about Lisa Marie and your time at Elvis Week. Thursday, Aug. 15, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
TRAVEL LODGE
high school gang. ThursdaysSaturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Through Sept. 8. LOHREY THEATRE
No, En Mi Casa NO Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group presenta la obra teatral, No, en mi casa no. $20/ general admission. Friday, Aug. 16, 8-10 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 17, 8-10 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 18, 3-5 p.m. THEATREWORKS @ THE SQUARE
Ride the Cyclone
The regional premiere of this wildly popular musical. It’s new, inventive, exciting, and morbidly delightful. Full of laughter and tears, it’s certain to entertain and remind you that life is just a ride. $10/sensory friendly performance, $26/adults, $16/student/teacher, $21/ seniors 60+. Friday, Aug. 16, 7:30-10 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 17, 7:30-10 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 18, 2:30-5 p.m. GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE
Waitress
Zombie Luau
Have your makeup done for donations to #backtoschool, with a limbo contest. $15. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 p.m.
BLACK LODGE
SPORTS
Memphis Redbirds vs. Charlotte Knights
$13-$86. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6:45 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 21, 6:45 p.m.
AUTOZONE PARK
Open Water Swim
Clinics
Get tips, advice, and training from professional swim and triathlon coaches. Sunday, Aug. 18, 6:30 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
THEATER
Carmen Jones
The classic musical by Oscar Hammerstein II, featuring music by Georges Bizet. In a Southern town during World War II, an army corporal named Joe is stationed near a parachute factory where Carmen Jones is employed. She manages to steal Joe away from his fiancée and the army, and they run off to Chicago. Thursday, Aug. 15-Aug. 17.
HATTILOO THEATRE
Coconut Cake
For some, there’s nothing better than retirement, but when Eddie Lee’s wife Iris joins him in retirement, the truth about his “ladies’ man” ways resurfaces. ThursdaysSaturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Through Sept. 8.
HATTILOO THEATRE
Grease
Harkening back to the 1950s with hot-rodding and hipshaking, Danny, the popular leader of the Burger Palace Boys, and Sandy, the new good girl to Rydell High, try to reignite their summer romance among the interest and turmoil of the rest of the
Jenna, a skilled pie maker and waitress, finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage and a small town. With an unexpected pregnancy, she worries that her dream of owning a pie shop might never materialize. However, a baking contest in a neighboring county and the arrival of the town’s charming new doctor present her with a chance at happiness. Encouraged by her unique group of fellow waitresses and devoted customers, Jenna discovers the one thing she’s been lacking — courage. ThursdaysSaturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16-Sept. 15. PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
TOURS
Elvis Week Backstage Experience Tours
Experience the spaces where Elvis Presley and other greats forever changed the world of live rock-and-roll. $16. Through Aug. 17. OVERTON PARK SHELL
Haunted Pub Crawl
Visit three local bars for ghost stories, dark history, and tales of the paranormal. Friday, Aug. 16, 7:30-10 p.m. THE BROOM CLOSET
Memphian Memories
Memphis Mafia member
Dave Hebler will share his personal stories and memories of protecting the King in what was once known as the Memphian Theater. $45. Thursday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. | Friday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m. CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE
The Original Memphis Brew Bus
The Memphis Brew Bus is a Saturday afternoon trip into the amazing Memphis craft brewing scene. Visit three local breweries for tours, talks with the brewers, and of course beer. $59. Saturday, Aug. 17, 2-5:30 p.m. THE BROOM CLOSET
Taijiquan with Milan Vigil
PHOTO: COURTESY ELVIS PRESLEY ENTERPRISES, INC. GRACELAND
The candlelight vigil at Graceland pays tribute to Elvis Presley.
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Jack Albert, 18, just played his rst Elvis 7s Rugby Tournament, which was held August 3rd at McBride Rugby Field at Tobey Park. “I thought it was really cool,” says Albert, who plays in the Eureka Kings (no Elvis a liation) Rugby club in St. Louis, Missouri.
“It was fun to just enjoy the music and the environment and get to play the sport I love at the same time,” he says.
e music that played during the games was mostly recorded Elvis standards, as well as a mix of other artists. e event, presented by the Memphis Blues Rugby Club, features a sideburns contest and Elvis-themed prizes.
Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” was played. “I think they only played that once,” says Albert. “We were walking on the eld and that song came on.” Or, in rugby lingo, “I was about to go pour out my heart on the pitch, leave it on the eld.”
Albert wore protective covering on his right leg so he wouldn’t mess up his new tattoo. It’s an anime symbol “from Berserk” and basically means, “Everybody has a bigger purpose in life and you’re destined for greater things than what you think.”
More We Saw You photos at memphis yer.com.
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Richard Wallace and son Kingston Wallace below: (le to right) Deon Botes; Stephen Smith; Kolton Nelson; Mary Helen Randall bottom row: Rory Cunningham circle: Taylor Osment
above: Matthew Young below: (le to right) Jack Albert; Jedeon Elliott
right row: (top to bottom)
Melanie Varnedoe and Emiley (CQ) Ambros; Juliette Robinson, Gabrielle Naples, and Meredith Feltenstein; Devin Faletto; Jamie Butler circle: Sabine Marlowe
Friday, September 20th, 6-9pm
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Chicken and Cheesecake
Downtown cafe serves variations on both.
G
et in the groove with some wa es and celebrate National Wa e Day on August 24th.
And if you missed National Cheesecake Day on July 30th, you can celebrate both days at Fannie Lou’s Gourmet Chicken & Wa es at 500 Tennessee Street, Number 166.
Owner Kevin Matthews is serving his tantalizing chicken and wa es and other chicken dishes, including a chicken wa e pizza. He’s also selling his iconic cheesecakes that he made at his old place, e Cheesecake Corner.
Instead of fried chicken, Matthews uses roasted chicken. He seasons chicken wings with his own blend of ingredients. “We call it ‘oven roasted to perfection,’” Matthews says.
He also makes the wa e batter with his own blend of ingredients and serves them with “warm butter and warm syrup.”
People are always curious about the “Fannie Lou” in the restaurant’s name, Matthews says. ey’ve asked him, “Who’s Fannie Lou?” and “How is Fannie Lou?”
Matthews named his restaurant a er his mother, the late Fannie Lou Matthews, but he doesn’t use her recipes. “All of these are my recipes, my creation,” he says.
But that is his mother pictured on the sign in front. Matthews wanted a “vintage name,” so he jotted down names, including those of family members, before deciding to go with his mother’s name. His graphic artist told him he wanted an image to go with the logo, so Matthews went with a picture of his mother.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Matthews studied fashion merchandising at Je erson State Community College. “I was thinking about possibly opening a men’s clothing store.”
ings changed when he was 18 and he got his rst restaurant job. “I started out as a dishwasher and ended up as a line cook.”
He made his rst cheesecake while he was working at a seafood restaurant.
Matthews came across a cheesecake recipe, which “seemed pretty interesting,” in one of his mother’s magazines.
“My mother was an excellent cook and baker. She was a homemaker, but she didn’t bake cheesecakes. I think that’s what drew me to it,” he says. He used his own money to buy the ingredients and a “springform pan.”
As for his rst stab at a cheesecake, Matthews says, “All I remember is, it was something with pineapple.”
He does remember that it “didn’t come out perfect.” But, he says, “My dad kept asking for more.”
at cinched it. “I kept at it until I perfected it.”
Even today, he says, “I take my time and put in everything that it takes to produce a superb cheesecake.”
Cheesecakes are complicated to make, expensive, and time-consuming. ey also have to be cooled and refrigerated.
“If it’s not baked, then it’s not a cheesecake. A real cheesecake has real eggs and all that stu in it, and it has to be cooked.”
A er leaving the restaurant business, Matthews worked in the steel industry. He was a heater technician, controlling “the temperature of the coke oven.”
Ten years later, when he was ready to return to the kitchen oven, Matthews opened his own cafe, e Cheesecake Corner, in Mountain Brook, Alabama. In addition to cheesecakes, he served soup, salad, sandwiches, and quiche. Matthews did the baking and the chef he hired did the cooking.
Matthews specialized in more than 100 di erent avors of cheesecakes. “Twentyfour avors were available by the slice on
any given day.”
Two years later, Matthews closed his restaurant and moved to Memphis. A restaurant owner he knew in Birmingham also owned one in Memphis. Matthews had always thought about moving to another city and opening a restaurant, so, he says, “I decided to take a chance and move to Memphis and just feel it out and see if that was a good market to do what I wanted to do.”
He worked as a cook at Amerigo Italian Restaurant for a few years before opening e Cheesecake Corner on G. E. Patterson Avenue in 2002. “I was ready to do a brick-and-mortar space.”
e Arcade Restaurant was nearby, but the South Main area was pretty empty. “A lot of people thought I was crazy.”
A er a slow start, his cheesecakes, which he sold by the slice, eventually took o .
Matthews then thought about opening an additional business. “I wanted to create a chicken concept. I wanted a restaurant concept that didn’t consume so much of me. e cheesecake concept
consumes all of me.” e cheesecake business is “a very complicated concept on a daily basis. It’s very di cult to expand it and it maintain its quality.”
Matthews opened Fannie Lou’s in November 2019 while he was still running e Cheesecake Corner. is was “a few months before the pandemic.”
“I was planning to do a grand opening in spring 2020 and the pandemic hit,” he adds. “I ended up with two restaurants and no workers.”
A er 21 years, Matthews closed e Cheesecake Corner in May 2023.
He originally wanted to start a Fannie Lou’s franchise, but the pandemic messed that up, too, Matthews says. “So it’s almost like I’m creating a totally new concept in real time.”
“Once I perfect the concept,” he adds, “I may open another one somewhere. And if it goes well, if it’s a proven concept to me, then I will look at expanding.”
And Matthews is diplomatic when people ask him to name his favorite cheesecake. “If I don’t like it, I don’t make it. When I get ready to enjoy a slice, I’m probably just like my customers. I’m there pondering.”
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
Kevin Matthews serves variations of chicken and waffles, plus his iconic cheesecakes.
the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Animal Antics
Paisley Toten, 2, was riding in a pickup bed through the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, on June 1 with her parents when their interaction with the animals took an unexpected turn, the Associated Press reported. The family stopped their truck to feed a giraffe, but the giraffe nibbled instead on Paisley’s shirt, lifting her several feet into the air. When Paisley’s mom shouted, the giraffe dropped the toddler into her mother’s arms, leaving her unhurt. After the incident, the park changed its rules to disallow riding in an open truck bed. Paisley got a stuffed giraffe from the gift shop for her trouble. [AP, 6/6/2024]
End of an Era
If your July 4 traditions have included watching Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition, steel yourself: Joey Chestnut is out. The contest in Coney Island has taken place since 1916, and Chestnut has prevailed a total of 16 times, and every year since 2016, the New York Post reported. His record, set in 2021, was 76 dogs and buns. Sadly, Chestnut didn’t compete this year. Major League Eating (MLE), which runs the event for Nathan’s, said Chestnut’s recent deal with Impossible Foods to rep their vegan dogs was beyond the pale. “He’s the Michael Jordan of competitive eating,” a source said. “But imagine if Michael Jordan said to Nike, ‘I love being the face of Nike, but I want to do commercials for Adidas, too.’” MLE commented, “It seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our longtime relationship.”
monitored.” [CNN Travel, 6/12/2024]
• On June 5, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ex-mayor Cesar Maia, 78, took a seat to join a Zoom meeting of the city councilors, the Daily Mail reported. Unfortunately, his seat was the toilet, and he was caught with his pants down on the video feed. Maia quickly brought his computer closer to his face, but his fellow councilors couldn’t control their reactions. Pablo Mello, who was leading the meeting, is shown on the feed laughing into his hand before he asked Maia to “turn off the camera, please.”
[Daily Mail, 6/7/2024]
Crime Report
The Golden State Water Company in Los Angeles is installing locked shields over fire hydrants in some neighborhoods in response to a surge in thefts, CBS News reported on June 3. The company said the thefts happen daily; because the hydrants are made of iron and brass, company officials think they’re being sold as scrap metal on the black market. Replacements cost $3,500 a piece; so far, the company has lost $1.2 million. “It’s mind-boggling that someone would just come into a neighborhood and steal a fire hydrant,” said resident Krystail Cousins. “You’re now putting a whole neighborhood in danger.” [CBS News, 6/3/2024]
Least Competent Criminals
[NY Post, 6/11/2024]
Bright Ideas
• The ancient statues at China’s Yungang Buddhist Grottoes have taken a back seat to a new installation: Timers installed above a row of toilet stalls in the women’s restroom show whether the cubicle is occupied and, more controversially, how long the door has been locked. CNN Travel reported that the timers were installed to help mitigate the increased number of visitors: “We aren’t setting a time limit. … It’s impossible that we would kick someone out midway.” But one user said, “I found it a little embarrassing. It felt like I was being
Christy Turman, 37, called 911 to let the Lee County (Florida) Sheriff’s office know that she was trying to steal a car from a dealership, WFLA-TV reported on June 6. “I’m trying to steal a car that’s not legally mine,” she said on the call. “So y’all better come make a report.” Sure enough, when deputies arrived, they found her getting out of a stolen Toyota Corolla. Turman said she was training in a game of Black Ops to nick the car, but she called authorities so it’d be legal. Joke’s on her: She was arrested on trespassing charges. [WFLA, 6/6/2024]
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Years ago, when I worked as a postal delivery person in Santa Cruz, California, I mastered my route quickly. The time allotted to complete it was six hours, but I could easily finish in four. Soon I began to goof off two hours a day, six days a week. Many great works of literature and music entertained me during that time. I joined a softball team and was able to play an entire game each Saturday while officially on the job. Was what I did unethical? I don’t think so, since I always did my work thoroughly and precisely. Is there any comparable possibility in your life, Aries? An ethical loophole? A workaround that has full integrity? An escape clause that causes no harm?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): From an astronomer’s perspective, Uranus is huge. Sixty-three Earths could fit inside of it. It’s also weirdly unique because it rotates sideways compared to the other planets. From an astrologer’s point of view, Uranus symbolizes the talents and gifts we possess that can be beneficial to others. If we fully develop these potentials, they will express our unique genius and be useful to our fellow humans. It so happens that Uranus has been cruising through Taurus since 2018 and will mostly continue there until 2026. I regard these years as your best chance in this lifetime to fulfill the opportunities I described. The coming weeks will be especially pregnant with possibilities.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Mountaineer Edmund Hillary is renowned as the first person to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest. It happened in 1953. Less famous was his companion in the ascent, Gemini mountaineer Tenzing Norgay. Why did Hillary get more acclaim than Norgay, even though they were equal partners in the monumental accomplishment? Was it because one was a white New Zealander and the other a brown Nepalese? In any case, I’m happy to speculate that if there’s a situation in your life that resembles Norgay’s, you will get remediation in the coming months. You will receive more of the credit you deserve. You will garner the acknowledgment and recognition that had previously been unavailable. And it all starts soon.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): As an American, I’m embarrassed by the fact that my fellow citizens and I comprise just 4 percent of the world’s population but generate 20 percent of its garbage. How is that possible? In any case, I vow that during the next five weeks, I will decrease the volume of trash I produce and increase the amount of dross I recycle. I encourage you, my fellow Cancerians, to make a similar promise. In ways that may not be immediately imaginable, attending to these matters will improve your mental
By Rob Brezsny
health and maybe even inspire you to generate an array of fresh insights about how to live your life with flair and joy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Scientific research suggests that brushing and flossing your teeth not only boosts the health of your gums, but also protects your heart’s health. Other studies show that if you maintain robust microbiota in your gut, you’re more likely to avoid anxiety and depression as you nurture your mental health. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to focus on big-picture thoughts like these, Virgo. You will be wise to meditate on how each part of your life affects every other part. You will generate good fortune as you become more vividly aware and appreciative of the intimate interconnectedness that underlies all you do.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The official term for the shape of a single piece of M&M candy is “oblate spheroid.” It’s rounded but not perfectly round. It looks like a partially squashed sphere. An Iraqi man named Ibrahim Sadeq decided to try the difficult task of arranging as many M&Ms as possible in a vertical stack. He is now the world’s record-holder in that art, with seven M&Ms. I am imagining that sometime soon, Libra, you could achieve a comparable feat in your own domain. What’s challenging but not impossible?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’ve heard many people brag about their hangovers. The stories they tell are often entertaining and humorous. One of my best laughs emerged in response to two friends describing the time they jumped on the roof a parked Mercedes Benz at 3 a.m. and sang songs from Verdi’s opera Falstaff until the cops came and threw them in a jail cell with nothing to eat or drink for 10 hours. In accordance with astrological omens, Scorpio, I ask you to not get a hangover in the coming weeks, even an amusing one. Instead, I encourage you to studiously pursue extreme amounts of pleasurable experiences that have only good side effects.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Most famous musicians demand that their dressing rooms be furnished with specific amenities. Beyoncé needs rose-scented candles. Rihanna expects her preparatory sanctuary to have dark blue or black drapes topped with icy blue chiffon. Eminem insists on a set of 25-pound dumbbells, and the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd wants Super Soaker water guns. Since the coming weeks may be as close to a rock star phase of your cycle as you’ve ever had, I recommend you create a list of your required luxuries. This imaginative exercise will hopefully get you in the mood to ask for exactly what you need everywhere you go.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sleep
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The coming weeks will be a wonderful time to waste time on the internet. If you are properly aligned with cosmic rhythms, you will spend long hours watching silly videos, interacting with friends and strangers on social media, and shopping for products you don’t really need. JUST KIDDING!! Everything I just said was a dirty lie. It was designed to test your power to resist distracting influences and mediocre advice. Here’s my authentic counsel, Leo. The coming weeks will be a fantastic phase to waste as little time as possible as you intensify your focus on the few things that matter to you most.
deprivation is widespread. I see it as a pandemic. According to some studies, over half the people in the world suffer from insomnia, don’t get enough sleep, or have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Most research on this subject doesn’t mention an equally important problem: that many people aren’t dreaming enough. And the fact is that dreaming is key to our psychological well-being. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because the coming weeks will be a favorable time to enhance your relationship with sleep and dreams. I encourage you to learn all you can and do all you can to make your time in bed deeply rejuvenating.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Only 47 people live on the volcanic Pitcairn Islands, which are located in the middle of nowhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Pollution is virtually nonexistent, which is why the honey made by local bees is the purest on the planet. In accordance with astrological omens, I’d love for you to get honey like that in the coming weeks. I hope you will also seek the best and purest of everything. More than ever, you need to associate with influences that are potent, clear, genuine, raw, vibrant, natural, and full-strength.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Many Indigenous people in North America picked and ate wild cranberries. But farm-grown cranberries available for commercial use didn’t appear until 1816. Here’s how it happened: In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a farmer discovered a secret about the wild cranberry bog on his land. Whenever big storms dumped sand on the bog, the fruit grew with more lush vigor. He tinkered with this revelation from nature and figured out how to cultivate cranberries. I recommend this as a teaching story, Pisces. Your assignment is to harness the power and wisdom provided by a metaphorical storm or disturbance. Use it to generate a practical innovation in your life.
FILM By Chris McCoy
Less Than Zero
Hapless game adaptation Borderlands isn’t even so bad it’s good.
“Zero percent! You don’t see that very o en!”
at’s Claptrap (Jack Black), the robot in Borderlands, a er being asked to calculate the odds of surviving an encounter with some Psychos in the Caustic Caverns beneath Pandora.
Coincidentally, “zero percent” was Borderlands score on Rotten Tomatoes when I checked it last weekend.
I only get preview screenings on very rare occasions these days. (Is it something I said? Knowing me, it probably was.) I usually don’t read any other critics before I watch a lm for review. Like most pros, I have a love-hate relationship with Rotten Tomatoes. On the one hand, a congregator for reviews seems like a good idea. On the other hand, the site has reduced many people’s relationship with cinema culture and lm criticism to a single statistical number, derived through means that sound scienti c on the surface but are in fact quite dicey. On the third hand, they did invite me to contribute my reviews and remind me when I forget. So at least someone is paying attention to me!
is week, I was trying to decide between It Ends With Us, based on a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, the bestselling author of the decade, and Borderlands, based on a video game series I was vaguely familiar with. Word on the socials was that Borderlands was an epic stinker, so I glanced at the RT score. Zero percent is, like the robot says, not something you see very o en. It’s Ballistic: Ecks vs.
Sever and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 territory. Now, my choice was clear. An RT goose egg doesn’t scare me. I saw Highlander II: e Quickening in the theater. Voluntarily. I had to see what was so bad about Borderlands
Maybe director Eli Roth would turn the aesthetic corner and create a lm so bad it’s good! As a frequent yer at Black Lodge Shitfest, I appreciate a good trainwreck. For me, the last so-bad-its-good pic — what the SubGenius community calls bad lm — was Gods of Egypt. It’s got everything: Geo rey Rush phoning it in as the sun god Ra! Chadwick Boseman solving the riddle of the sphinx! Tiny Courtney Eaton! I can’t look away. Gods of Egypt got 14 percent “good” reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Checking RT as I write this, a er opening weekend, Borderlands has soared to 8 percent. e positive notices come mostly from sources that aren’t exactly cinematic tastemakers — like Polygon, who praise anything related to video games.
So how bad is Borderlands? I regret to inform you, it is a very bad lm, but not bad lm. Borderlands the game is a rst-person shooter released in 2009. Even the original was excessively derivative. Pandora, the planet on which the action takes place, shares a name with the homeworld of Avatar’s Na’vi, but it looks like Mad Max’s postapocalyptic Australia. More accurately, it looks like Fallout, the classic video game from 1988 whose developers were among the rst people to adapt
George Miller’s outback junkyard aesthetic. It’s also the second lm I’ve seen this year to rip o Miller’s Furiosa, the rst being Deadpool & Wolverine (Seriously, if you haven’t seen it, give Furiosa a chance.)
e star of the show is Cate Blanchett as Lilith, one of four playable characters from the original Borderlands. Blanchett is cursed with a sti red hairdo that, for bad lm a cionados, will bring up memories of Frances McDormand’s fright wig in Æon Flux. Lilith is a space bounty hunter who’s “getting too old for this shit.” When she’s o ered a very impressive sum by Atlas (Édgar Ramírez) to rescue his daughter Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) from rogue trooper Roland (Kevin Hart), who has taken her to Pandora, she responds by killing the messenger. Literally.
A er hooking up with Claptrap, the mandatory R2-D2 gure, Lilith nds Tiny Tina, who has befriended another playable character, Krieg (Florian Munteanu). He is a renegade Psycho, the oh-so creatively named legion of canon fodder every rst-person
Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and Jamie Lee Curtis search for alien treasure in Borderlands
shooter needs. A er evading Atlas’ goon squad, they end up at, what else, a crazy frontier bar owned by Mad Moxxi (Gina Gershon). ere, they meet Dr. Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis, feathering her 401(k)), an archeologist who knows the way to the Vault, the lost alien treasure repository that is Pandora’s only tourist attraction. (Get it? Pandora’s Box? It wasn’t funny in 2009, either.)
Borderlands’ vibes feel as mercenary as the characters. Blanchett, who may be physically incapable of giving a bad performance, hits her marks and sneers. Hart and Curtis seem to be devoted to expending as little energy as possible. Ramírez delivers not one but two slow claps. Greenblatt’s screen presence is like nails on a chalkboard. Bad lm legend Gershon, of Cocktail and Showgirls fame, brings the same vacuous energy here.
Borderlands channels all of the worst tics from the two decades of mediocre blockbuster cinema. It’s got that at Marvel lighting; characters who appear just to check a box on some Reddit lmbro’s wish list, then disappear without a trace; hyperviolent yet listless action sequences; an o -putting sadistic streak; and the kind of quippy dialogue that would cause Joss Whedon to yell at an entire writer’s room. (Credited writer Joe Crombie is a pseudonym. At least eight other writers reportedly worked on the script, but none of them would put their name on it.) Everything about Borderlands reminded me of, and made me wish I was watching, another, better movie.
Anyway, I hear It Ends With Us is okay.
Borderlands Now playing Multiple locations
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
Alien: Romulus
Cailee Spaeny (of Priscilla fame) stars as an astronaut who discovers a derelict space station. Then, she and her crewmates discover why it is derelict: It’s overrun by alien xenomorphs. Set in the time between Ridley Scott’s original Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, director Fede Álvarez aims to bring the sci-fi horror franchise back to its roots, and give you a big hug right in the face.
Dìdi
It’s the summer of 2008, and Chris (Izaac Wang), the first-generation son of Chinese immigrants, is trying to make new friends before he starts high school. He starts hanging out with some skaters, but since
he can’t skate, he films them in the hopes of making skate videos. But the awkward teen has a lot of learning to do about life and friendship. Director Sean Wang’s ode to growing up in the early internet age swept the Audience Award and Dramatic awards at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The Phantom of the Opera
The 1925 silent film set the standard for horror films to come. Lon Chaney, in his signature role, stars as the Phantom, a hideously scarred man condemned to live beneath an opera house in Paris who falls in love with a singer (Mary Philbin). He uses his organ playing skills to bewitch her but sets himself and the opera up for a painful reckoning. The Orpheum Theatre presents Phantom on Friday, August 16th, with a live score on the Mighty Wurlitzer.
THE LAST WORD
By Robert C. Koehler
Project 2025
And some poison gas for the future.
e right-wing Republicans — the Christian nationalists — have hoisted their ag: Project 2025, aka Project Hell on Earth, and it’s coming to a future near you. Or so they believe (and hope).
But the Democrats are on our side! ey won’t let it happen, right? While the deep right puts forth its stalwart vision of a recreated world, the moderate center stands cautiously and awkwardly for the status quo of the moment: only some war, mixed with social spending and even a minimal awareness of the problems posed by climate change. God forbid, however, that a counter-vision of the global future — a vision of a world that transcends war and militarism — should be part of mainstream politics. at would be pushing things too far, which is to say, defying the corporate donors who keep the political process going.
So, as the presidential election looms, we have to look at what’s at stake, as outlined in Project 2025: “ e nearly 900-page document,” Liz eoharis and Shailly Gupta Barnes write at TomDispatch, “outlines a plan to ramp up U.S. military might, slash social welfare programs, and prioritize ‘traditional marriage.’”
Military might — yeah, that’s the political key. ey add: “Nor is this new. Every year, the Pentagon budget invariably passes with widespread bipartisan support, even if a few representatives vote otherwise. Since the 9/11 attacks, in fact, $21 trillion has been funneled into war, surveillance, policing, border control, and incarceration. In Fiscal Year 2023, nearly two-thirds of the federal discretionary budget funded the military-industrial complex and militarized spending.”
Militarism is more than the ow of blood. It’s also the ow of money. War is taught, historically, as a simple and precise matter: good and evil go at each other, one side (usually the good guys, the “righteous” side) wins, and life simply moves on. ere are no further consequences. e takeaway is only this: If you want to be safe and secure, you have to be well-armed and ever-prepared for battle. War, in other words, is permanent — and always on the horizon. At least this is the world of today, the world that “civilized humanity” has bequeathed itself.
Project 2025 simply eliminates all doubt: Peace is not the way — at least not the le y version of it. e unquestioned worship of militarism must be our future, and will be if Trump wins, at least according to Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, the organization behind Project 2025. He called it the “second American Revolution” but assured us it will be bloodless, uh … “if the le allows it to be.”
What fascinating wordplay. ose who disagree with our Project had better keep their mouths shut. If they don’t, we’ll have to respond violently, but it will be their fault. at’s how the system works.
Here’s another way to look at it: “ e end of World War II was not the beginning of an era dominated by a devotion to peace,” Serdar M. Değirmencioğlu writes at Community Psychology. “Instead, the de ning mindset of the period was militarism with no moral limits. Nuclear war was now possible and more was on the way. … It is now [more] clear than ever that militarism is morally bankrupt. It can justify everything: Nuclear massacres, nuclear weapons, hundreds of military bases around the world, toppling regimes in Guatemala, Chile, Grenada, or any other country for that matter. Add an undeclared war on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Add napalm and Agent Orange. And no, it did not stop when the Cold War ended. Militarism justi ed the invasion of Iraq and of Afghanistan, black sites, Guantanamo, and so on. Militarism has always served and justi ed injustice — at home and away from home.”
Let me repeat: Militarism has no moral limits — which, seemingly, turns the term “war crime” into an absurdity. Once you start killing people, it’s hard to stop. You kill innocent civilians. You kill children. You commit genocide. But, oh gosh, doing that is a crime. Well, so what? at means nothing.
Militarism “can justify everything.” And the terrain of justi cation keeps expanding. In the wake of World War I, one of the horrors wreaked upon the world was poison gas. Less than three decades later, we had the atomic bomb to ponder, fret over and, of course, continue developing. Oh, but “mutually assured destruction” has kept us safe! Except for all the non-nuclear wars the world has managed to squeeze in (during my lifetime).
So Project 2025 seems like nothing more than Project Same Old, Same Old, ampli ed with political arrogance (social spending is bad) and the belief that we need a good dictator. at’ll keep us safe! All I can do is spray a little poison gas onto this viewpoint, that is to say, quote the ending to Wilfred Owen’s poem about World War I — speci cally, about the horror of a poison gas attack and the soldier who failed to get his gas mask on in time. Titled “Dulce et Decorum Est,” the poem ends with a Latin phrase that means: “It is sweet and tting to die for one’s country.”
. . . If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory, e old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Robert Koehler (koehlercw@gmail.com), syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a Chicago-based award-winning journalist and editor. He is the author of Courage Grows Strong at the Wound , and his newly released album of recorded poetry and art work, Soul Fragments.
PHOTO: CONSTANTIN OPRIS | DREAMSTIME.COM
