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THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com
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“Imagine a tater tot ice skating.”
“Oops! I can’t generate that image. Can I help you imagine something else?”
“Imagine a tater tot on ice skates.”
“Oops! I can’t generate that image. Can I help you imagine something else?”
“Imagine a tater tot.”
“Oops! I can’t generate that image. Can I help you imagine something else?”
“Imagine a cylindrical fried potato on ice skates.”
e above is a “conversation” I had with Meta AI a er several prompts appeared in my Facebook feed encouraging me to “Ask Meta AI to imagine anything.” Examples given included “imagine a clown in Paris,” “imagine an alien wedding,” “imagine running on Mars.” Whatever you choose to “imagine,” the AI feature will produce an image for you. Or not. But I had to give it a try. In thinking of something random and absurd (and while likely craving potatoes, which, if I’m honest, is o en), I asked it to imagine a tater tot on ice skates. Psh! Turns out the thing doesn’t even know what a tater tot is. Intelligence, shmintelligence! Big dummy! I got a chuckle when it nally dreamed up my more speci c request (result shown here) — spiralized fried potatoes atop the cutest little pair of skates. You’d almost think it’s real! Or not …
One majorly unfortunate issue with AI images, audio, and video is that there are a whole lot of folks out there who can’t tell it’s AI. In the last couple of weeks as hurricane coverage took over our social media feeds, loads of AI images appeared — of Donald Trump in jeans, waist-deep in oodwater; of crying children clutching their dogs in heavy rain. On one thread below a post of the former, commenters were split. e image was real, some demanded. “Bless him. He was there doing all he could to help.” Others agreed that, yes, maybe the image wasn’t authentic — completely “imagined” by AI, to be exact — but regardless, they said, “ e sentiment is real.” e sentiment is real. Since when does sentiment equal reality? Some have bigger imaginations than others.
Speaking of meta, I also asked the image generator to “imagine arti cial intelligence imagining arti cial intelligence.” e result was a shiny robot — a hodgepodge of metal plates in the shape of a human, with some exposed wiring and small lights glowing from within its head — hands rested on a keyboard, intently studying a computer screen with indecipherable lettering. Imagine you imagining yourself. Woah, things are getting heavy!
Jokes aside, things are getting heavy. As we near the election, misinformation abounds, much of it generated with AI and spreading like wild re online. Users are even making video clips of what appear to be Biden and Kamala saying things they’ve never said, or images of political gures “imagined” to be standing arm and arm with U.S. adversaries. And an astounding selection of American voters believe, apparently, everything they see. I wish I had that kind of imagination!
Another recent example of rabid imagination fueled by AI, shared by a Facebook friend, was a video of “robots doing eld work.” “So what do we do with human[s]? Wow!” he captioned his share of what was absolutely in no way real — cartoony even — showing one Short Circuit-looking robot, scythe in hand, gathering bundles of hay and another shoddily “imagined” robot holding onto a bull’s tail and standing (dancing?) on top of some sort of seeder or tiller pulled behind it. e whole thing looked straight out of a poorly programmed video game. But alas: “Scary. We will lose jobs,” one commenter noted. “Sad day,” another lamented. It is, in fact, a sad day when a percentage of the population cannot tell the di erence between what’s real and what’s fake. Maybe robots will take our jobs. Maybe somewhere deep in his twisted heart, Trump imagined himself wading through waters and rubble helping hurricane victims. e sentiment is real, they say. Who cares if what we base our opinions on is complete and utter nonsense?
NEWS & OPINION
THE FLY-BY - 4 AT LARGE - 8 FINANCE - 9 COVER STORY “PARTY TIME” BY JACKSON BAKER - 10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WE RECOMMEND - 15 MUSIC - 16 AFTER DARK - 19 CALENDAR - 20
NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 21
WE SAW YOU - 22 FOOD - 24
NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 26
ASTROLOGY - 27 FILM - 28
CLASSIFIEDS - 30 LAST WORD - 31
I, for one, would like to imagine that people aren’t so gullible. at they’re capable of discerning truth from blatant lies. at somewhere out there, actual human intelligence still exists. One thing I know for sure, though, is that tater tots are real. Meta AI cannot convince me otherwise. I think I’ll go have some. Imagine that!
Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
PHOTO: FACEBOOK | META AI at’s not even a tater tot.
fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
DRONE HOME
Go nd Reggie Corker’s amazing drone Reel of Downtown Memphis and Tom Lee Park. Perfect for a little MEMernet zen and a bit of perspective on our city.
TARAOKE?
Barbie’s Bar was slated to host Memphis’ rstever Taraoke event this week, blending karaoke and tarot readings.
“Do you like to sing?” asks the event page. “Do you identify as your zodiac sign? Free karaoke and tarot. e zodiac team that does best will win prizes.” e events are set for Wednesdays in October.
REDDIT ROUND-UP
Friendly Redditors named an imaginary Memphis Major League Baseball team (Memphis Junts, and Manes, for example), recommended Acre as a wedding venue, looked to open a chapter of a lock picking group, and sought help seasoning a wok, re-homing a kitten, and sourcing two-liter bottles of Diet Sundrop. ey also reimagined the Pyramid as a huge mech ghter (see above).
{CITY REPORTER
By Kailynn Johnson
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
‘Clean Slate’ at MATA
Mayor vacates Memphis Area Transit Authority board a er critical report.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young is looking to start a “clean slate” in city transit by replacing all members of the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) board of commissioners.
Young made the announcement last Friday evening following the release of a TransPro dra report which comes a er months of turmoil for the agency.
e mayor is looking to replace the current board with the following members: Brandon Arrindell, Cynthia Bailey, Emily Greer, Sandi Klink, Brian Mar ak, Jackson McNeil, Anna McQuiston, Dana Pointer, and Maya Siggers.
Report says members should be replaced with those who will “take seriously their responsibility.”
PHOTO: MATA VIA FACEBOOK
e current board recently issued about 200 layo s in the wake of a $60 million budget de cit that Memphis City Council members said they should have seen coming.
“ is move is more about creating a clean-slate environment,” Young said. “A er months of analysis, we received TransPro’s initial dra report today, which clearly spells out the challenges facing our transit system and the need to move with expediency.
“We believe the reset will help us to move more quickly toward our goal of creating a system that better connects our residents with jobs, healthcare, and essential services.”
TransPro, a transportation consulting business, conducted their analysis from August 19th to October 11th. During this time the board had passed a budget that not only included service cuts but also prompted the layo of more than 200 employees. Board members said these cuts were made to ensure the viability of the agency, as o cials had announced a $60 million de cit this summer.
“ e existing MATA board fails to provide reasonable oversight,” the report said. “Just a month ago the MATA board unanimously adopted a budget with no questions … for a scal year that started more than 100 days prior.”
MATA’s board has been criticized by not only bus riders and community advocates, but city leaders as well. During a September Memphis City Council meeting, Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton condemned the board for not speaking up about a problem that had been 10 years in the making.
“No one knew there was a de ciency coming down the pipeline? No one?” Cooper-Sutton asked. “I’m going to tell you what my spirit is discerning: Someone is lying
and not telling the truth. You’re not going to tell me that the educated board with all those alphabets behind their name, that no one knew and saw this coming for 10 years? It’s unbelievable.”
e analysis notes that public transportation has its share of nancial challenges. MATA o cials have continuously cited lack of funding contributing to their budget woes. However, TransPro said MATA’s challenges “are further ampli ed by a lack of focus on the daily needs of customers, poor nancial management and oversight, and the pursuit of major projects that are straining the limited sta and scal resources of the authority.”
e organization found only 26 percent of the community believed in the agency’s ability to e ciently handle public funds. In order to gain the public’s trust regarding management of funds, they recommended the entire board be replaced.
“ e MATA board as currently constituted should be replaced with new members who will take seriously their responsibility to act as the policy and oversight entity of the agency,” the report said.“Furthermore, performance metrics should be established on the operations, nances, and customer satisfaction of the agency for the leadership team to be held accountable to and provide true transparency to the community.”
TransPro’s 117-page summary of recommendations for the agency analyzes bus usage, ridership, and ontime performance, among other things. ey said a comprehensive nancial review “is currently underway.”
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY REGGIE CORKER
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY BARBIE’S BAR
{ STATE WATCH
By Toby Sells
STEVEN
‘Rocky Roads’
State Democrats call for transportation reform amid “tra c crisis,” propose issuing debt for big projects.
S
tate Democrats called for statewide transportation reforms last Tuesday to address Tennessee’s “growing tra c crisis,” and the state’s “crumbling transportation infrastructure,” laying blame at the feet of the Republican supermajority.
In a Nashville news conference, lawmakers launched the “Rocky Top, Not Rocky Roads” campaign, highlighting road conditions and tra c congestion.
ey pointed to an annual state infrastructure audit that said the state now faces a $34 billion backlog in transportation projects.
“Without leadership and courage, we’re not going to be able to lower the cost of living that directly impacts every family that we represent,” Clemmons said. “Again, the question working Tennesseans should be asking themselves is, ‘Where’s all my money?’”
Tennessee roads are dangerous. e state ranked ninth for the highest rate of tra c deaths last year, according to data from the National Highway Safety Administration. Tra c deaths rose almost 9 percent in the state from 2022-2023, from 607 deaths to 661.
M c MAHON’S
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A Ballet Memphis favorite, this spine-tingling fantasy explores the line between good and evil, life and death, love and madness.
Billboards carrying the “Rocky Top, Not Rocky Roads” message will be placed in areas of the state where Democrats said commuters feel frustrated — Rutherford (Murfreesboro), Davidson (Nashville), and Montgomery (Clarksville) counties.
“Potholes and congestion aren’t just inconveniences; they’re symbols of neglect plaguing our state’s infrastructure under Republican control,” said Rep. Ronnie Glynn (DClarksville). “I want to cosponsor this transportation legislation because instead of relying on the pie-in-thesky [ideas], like toll lanes, we need intelligent, sustainable solutions.”
Substantively, Rep. A yn Behn (DNashville) announced intentions last Tuesday to le legislation in next year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly to reform the state’s nancing process for road projects. She and other Democrats called Tennessee’s current nancing method for big transit projects — such as road construction — “outdated.”
Last year, the Republican-controlled House and Senate passed Republican Governor Bill Lee’s Transportation Modernization Act. Central to the new law are “choice lanes.” ese will be lanes added to existing interstates (like I-40 and I-24) by private companies. Drivers can only use the lanes if they pay extra.
will go up soon.
Orpheum Theatre | Oct 25 + 26 + 27
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HALLOWEEN PARTY
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Rep. John Ray Clemmons (DNashville) mocked the idea as “the only solution that the Republican supermajority and Governor Bill Lee could come up with.” Meanwhile, he said, congested drives cost urban commuters $989 per year and rural drivers $670. e issue, for Clemmons, was one of rising costs for working Tennessee families.
“One such way to x our roads is to end the pay-as-you-go funding mechanism,” she said. “It will allow us — once we end it — to leverage our AAA bond rating and take out debt in order to lock in the cost, which means more bang for our buck.”
For clarity, Behn was asked why the debt method is better than the current GOP, pay-as-you-go method.
Mollie Fontaine Lounge | Oct 19
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“Since Republicans took over in 2011, they have doubled our state budget,” Clemmons said. “Have your roads gotten any better? No. Have you seen less tra c on interstates? Have you seen safer bridges and less potholes? No. So, where’s the money going?”
Here, Clemmons criticized the GOP’s $1.6 billion tax refund to what he called a “secret list of corporations, 53 percent of which were out-of-state corporations.”
“Because you are paying the most amount of money for the least amount of product,” she said. “You are locking in in ationary percentages every time you buy product and you take out money. Whereas, if we take out debt, we lock in that amount and we’re able to pay it o over time, we will pay less in the long run.”
Issuing debt rather than relying on inhand revenues increases the state’s ability to invest in large-scale infrastructure programs, the lawmaker said.
PHOTO: TDOT Billboards for “Rocky Top, Not Rocky Roads”
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
A New Forecast
The only thing to fear is fear itself. And weather.
Another day begins. I make a lovingly handcrafted cortado on my $450 espresso machine and pull up a chair in my all-electric kitchen with its artisanal subway tile and granite countertops. I take a sip. Mmm, frothy and smooth. Life is lovely. I open the New York Times app on my new iPhone 16 Pro, and like all good liberal elites, I play Wordle (got it in three, natch), the Mini Crossword, and Connections.
Morning brain exercises done, I scan the weekly forecast on my weather app before checking in with headquarters. Things look great for Memphis and most of the South for the next few days — sunny and mild — and I’m guessing our leaders in the Democrat Weather Manipulation System (DWMS) will let it stay that way, at least, for now. We don’t want to raise any more suspicions, especially since so many MAGAs appear to be catching on to us.
have to use electric batteries that will be so large they won’t be able to float, thereby exposing passengers to sharks. Let’s see you try that MAGA boat parade now, you nimrods.
Then, of course, federal agents of the Deep State will begin confiscating all gas stoves and requiring that kitchen appliances be run on solar power. If it’s a cloudy day, no cooking for you, Bubba! Have a salad. It’s better for you anyway. Airplanes will also be required to use solar power. Better stay above the clouds if weather moves in. Just sayin’.
Fortunately for us, it’s too late for them to do much about it. We kicked their clueless butts big-time a couple weeks ago with hurricanes Helene and Milton, and they never saw it coming, except for that cursed Marjorie Taylor Greene. She’s been on the case ever since we used our space lasers to ignite the California wildfires a few years back. Thankfully, we’ve managed to marginalize her enough — using our allies in the liberal media — that most Americans still think she’s a moron. Mission accomplished! So far.
We can’t afford to get complacent, though. Taking control of the weather was a tremendous feat, but there’s only so much bad weather you can inflict on red states before everyone figures it out. It all comes down to getting Comrade Kamala into office. Once that’s done, then we’ll be free to establish the rest of our agenda. Mwah-ha-ha!
First, we’ll invite brown- and blackskinned countries to send us all the inmates in their prisons. Then we’ll give them weapons and all the pets they can eat as soon as they cross the open border. Have fun, MAGA-troids.
Once that’s done, we’ll mandate that all cars and trucks be electric-powered and limit them to a 50-mile limit. Boats will
And we progressives will begin quickly implementing our Big Wind initiative by requiring utilities use only windmills to power our homes. Sure, when the wind’s not blowing, you won’t be able to watch TV, but so what? Read a book, preferably one by Ellen DeGeneres or Oprah Winfrey. Or, if you’re really bored, go out to the nearest windmill and pick up some dead eagles. They taste like chicken.
Okay, you’ve probably figured out by now that I’m being sarcastic, riffing on the absurd fears being pushed by Republican candidates — from the top of the ticket to the bottom — during the current campaign. Enough humor. Here’s what they’re really afraid of:
That Democrats will pass a law outlawing gerrymandering, so that politicians can’t geographically design their districts and stay in office indefinitely. That Democrats will ban assault weapons and begin enacting real gun reform. That Democrats will expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices, establish an enforceable code of judicial ethics, and install 15-year term limits. That Democrats will overturn Citizens United, the decision that allowed big money into our politics. That Democrats will recognize that climate change is real and institute substantive environmental protections. That a Democratic president will appoint an attorney general that actually goes after the former president for his crimes. And finally, that Democrats will guarantee a woman’s right to choose what she does with her own body.
That’s it. That’s what they fear. Well, that, and the fact that we now control the weather. Mwah-ha-ha! Have a nice day.
For now. Heh.
Special Needs Planning
Strategies to support your loved one’s education.
Planning to pay for a loved one’s educational expenses can be daunting, and parents of children with special needs face additional challenges. Fortunately, there are strategies that can help you plan without jeopardizing their eligibility for government benefits.
First, establish an individualized education plan (IEP). This document details the special education instruction, support, and services your child needs to be successful. IEPs are covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that requires all special education students to have access to a free and appropriate public education. It also mandates that teachers be appropriately trained and have the skills necessary to serve children with disabilities. IEPs are established in collaboration with a child’s school administration, teacher(s), and parent/guardian. It outlines the specific needs of the student and the services required of the school to meet them.
One way to pay for your loved one’s education is by establishing a special needs trust (SNT). This holds money for a beneficiary who has a disability or chronic illness. SNTs are intended to supplement government benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, while preserving the individual’s eligibility for them.
Another advantage of SNTs is that they can help ensure assets are distributed appropriately, as directed by the trust documents. Family and friends can make gifts to an SNT of up to $18,000 per year, per donor ($36,000 per married couple) without being subject to gift tax.
SNTs also offer flexibility in the types of assets used to fund them, including cash, securities, and life insurance proceeds. A common strategy is for parents to purchase a second-to-die life insurance policy, which pays a death benefit to the SNT after the last surviving policy holder passes away. SNTs can even help protect your loved one from falling victim to financial predators, as assets can’t be accessed without the trustee’s approval.
While there are immense benefits to establishing an SNT, there are also some downsides. First, the person you designate as trustee will have complete discretion over how the assets are distributed. This can cause issues if the trustee doesn’t share your intentions or have the same financial priorities as your loved one, which is why it’s important to carefully consider whom you designate as trustee.
Also, in order to ensure your trust is structured properly, you’ll need to work
with an estate planning attorney. This is typically worth the expense, considering the peace of mind it provides. Finally, there are ongoing costs and responsibilities to administer and maintain the trust; another reason it’s important to select a willing and capable trustee.
Named after the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, ABLE accounts offer another opportunity to provide benefits to individuals with special needs. Similar to SNTs, the assets don’t interfere with benefits eligibility (so long as they don’t exceed $100,000), and contributions can be made by the account holder as well as friends and family members.
When used to pay for educational expenses, withdrawals from ABLE accounts are exempt from taxes. In contrast to SNTs, which are managed by a trustee, ABLE accounts are owned and managed by the individual with special needs. It’s also much easier to access ABLE account assets than SNT assets.
Another benefit of ABLE accounts is that assets can be used for a variety of purposes, including anything that helps improve health or quality of life. This includes basic living expenses, food, employment, education, transportation, etc.
In order to qualify for an ABLE account, an individual must meet one of the following requirements:
• Qualify for SSI by a disability that occurred before age 26
• Qualify for disability insurance benefits, childhood disability benefits, or disabled widow/widower benefits by a disability that occurred before age 26
• Hold a certificate that proves the disability occurred before age 26
Once an individual qualifies, it’s easy to establish an ABLE account through the state’s website. No attorney is needed. It’s important to be aware that ABLE accounts have contribution limits. In 2024, contributions are limited to $18,000 per year.
Another downside is that any assets left in an ABLE account after the account holder’s death may be used to reimburse the state Medicaid agency for any services paid by Medicaid.
Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
PARTY TIME
The November 5th election ballot includes some local partisan races of note.
COVER STORY
By Jackson Baker
The Flyer recently highlighted several referenda for Memphis voters on the November 5th election ballot. is week, which will see the onset of early voting (October 16th through October 31st), we look at partisan contests in several key races.
LEGISLATIVE RACES
Noah Nordstrom, tall, stately, with long blonde hair he ties into a bun, says people tell him he looks like Trevor Lawrence, the ex-Clemson quarterback who now pilots the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL. “Either that or or,” Nordstrom says. “I’ll take either one.”
Images aside, Nordstrom is paradoxically mild-mannered and not macho at all, indeed somewhat di dent, as be ts his day job as a public school teacher.
What else he hopes to take is the title of state representative for Tennessee’s District 83, an enclave that straddles the southeastern rim of Shelby County and the western edge of Germantown. Challenger Nordstrom, a Democrat, has his work cut out for him. e seat has been held since 2010 by Republican Mark White, a xture in the state GOP’s legislative supermajority in Nashville and the chair of the House Education Committee.
Education, as it happens, is also the central concern of Nordstrom, who teaches Spanish at Overton High School and is sounding the alarm about what he calls the “radical” ideas of the current legislative Republican supermajority. e speci c moment that galvanized him into running came, he says, “when I realized that my state representative, Mark White, is pushing the voucher bill.” at bill, a main priority of GOP Governor Bill Lee, is described by Nordstrom as “a proposal that would defund our public schools across the entire state of Tennessee.” A bit of an exaggeration, perhaps, but the premise of the proposed legislation is that substantial amounts of taxpayer money would be siphoned out of the general
fund to provide tuition at private schools, which, arguably, are in direct competition with the long-established public school system.
“I live just over on the Memphis side [where] Memphis has set up against it completely,” said Nordstrom. Also, as he notes, “ e leaders here in Germantown, the entire school board, and the mayor stood up and said, you know, we don’t want this. … Even the Republican-leaning communities don’t want it. And so I decided to throw my name in.”
Indeed, opposition to school vouchers is universal in Shelby County school circles, not only in the urbanized Memphis-Shelby County Schools, but in each of the six county municipalities — Germantown,
Collierville, Bartlett, Lakeland, Arlington, and Millington — that won the right to establish their own public school districts during the school merger controversy of the county’s previous decade.
Opposition to vouchers is one of the key wedge issues, along with demands for gun safety, also linked to public schools, that Democrats — presumed to be a minority in District 83, as they certainly are in the state at large — hope can support a political comeback for the party.
“We can do better for our kids, and so that’s been one of the main issues,” Nordstrom said at the Future901-sponsored meeting, held in a Germantown household, where he recently spoke his views. “Obviously
PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER Noah Nordstrom
PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER Gloria Johnson
PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER John Gillespie
one of the other major ones is gun violence. It’s overwhelming to realize that you might not be able to save some of these kids. We see it every day, wondering whether they’re going to make it home safe.”
Unforgotten is the “good trouble” of spring 2023, when mass protests were held at the state Capitol following a lethal episode of gun violence at a Nashville school. In the a ermath, three Democratic House members, including Justin J. Pearson of Memphis and Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, a candidate this year for the U.S. Senate, were held to accounts by the Republican majority for their passionate support of protesters’ demands for gun safety legislation.
Pearson was expelled by the vengeful majority, along with Justin Jones of Nashville, the third member of the “Tennessee ree.” Johnson survived expulsion by a single vote. All three were celebrated nationally for their stands, and Pearson and Jones were hastily returned to o ce in special elections.
Realistically, Democrats don’t envision any immediate regaining of the hegemony the party held for much of Tennessee’s history, but they do hope to achieve at some point a competitive status with the
trimming them at the edges, while going along to get along with the MAGA-minded majority.
As Nordstrom noted, “Now the gun lobby is so strong they say, ‘Don’t vote our way and we’ll nd a candidate for the primary, and we’ll pick you out.’ And that’s part of the reason why Mark White has gotten so much more radical. You know, at one point he opposed getting rid of the permitting system for concealed carry. And last year, he voted to arm teachers, and that’s because he knows they” — members supported by the gun lobby — “are comfortable.”
Democratic activist Diane Cambron, an attendee, concurred: “ at’s one of the reasons why [District 96 Democratic state Representative] Dwayne ompson is not running for reelection. He didn’t run for reelection this time because, according to him, when he rst got elected in 2016 there were some moderate Republicans with whom he could work, but every year, those moderate Republicans drop out, they don’t run, and they’re replaced by younger, more radical Republicans, and that is what our Republican legislature is becoming. Even though they have a majority, they’re getting more and more radical all the time. ere are very few moderate Republicans le .”
Polls suggest that underdog Johnson may be within striking distance.
Nordstrom and the Democrats will have their hands full in District 83. ey remain hopeful, though, that they can build on the incremental success they began in 2016 — ironically the year of Donald J. Trump’s win over Hillary Clinton nationally. e victory in 2016 of the aforementioned Dwayne ompson over incumbent Republican Steve McManus in District 96 was just as much of an upset locally. As then constituted, District 96 also straddled city and county lines and the accustomed bailiwicks of either party.
EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS
Normal hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, October 16-31. An exception pertains at the Election Commission site, where the hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Anointed Temple of Praise, 3939 Riverdale Rd., Memphis, 38115
Republicans, who established their dominance in the statewide election years of 2010 and 2014 and have never looked back.
At the Future901 meeting in Germantown, there was a fair amount of partisan bear-baiting of Republicans, to be sure, but there were also expressions of concern regarding the increasing takeover of the GOP by MAGA ideology and a corresponding erosion, as attendees saw it, of commonsense shared values among Republican o ce-holders.
White, Nordstrom’s opponent, and state Representative John Gillespie, the incumbent Republican in House District 97, were speci cally cited as case studies of GOP moderates shedding their scruples, or at least
It should be said that White, the criticism notwithstanding, is widely regarded as being able to work across party lines. And, as the old joke has it, White can cry all the way to the bank. As is the case with most incumbents, especially well-heeled establishment gures, his cash receipts dwarf those of opponent Nordstrom, a rst-time candidate.
His Education Committee chairmanship is consistent with his background in that, before attaining some success with a party-favor business, he was an elementary school teacher and a principal. He co-founded something called the Global Children’s Educational Foundation, which provided nancial assistance and educational opportunities to impoverished children in Panama. And he won the Tennessee Community Organizations’ Legislator of the Year award in 2016 and the Tennessee CASA Association’s Legislator of the Year award in 2012. He is no slouch, no easy target. All of which is to say that Noah
So does House District 97, where the case can be made that Democratic challenger Jesse Huseth might even be regarded as a favorite over incumbent Republican John Gillespie. e two opponents have raised approximately the same amount of money, each with cash on hand of just under $100,000, and, as currently con gured, the district lines encompass a territory where Democrat Jason Martin, a distant second to incumbent GOP Governor Bill Lee virtually everywhere statewide, actually out-polled Lee. And the same can be said of Joe Biden in his presidential race against Trump. e district’s current con guration remains one of the mysteries of Election Year 2024, since Gillespie, as a member of the GOP supermajority, had the opportunity to call the shots during the redistricting that followed census year 2020. And he decided to discard two Republican-dominated county precincts in return for two politically ambivalent ones further west in Memphis proper, presumably lowering his chances for reelection. ere has yet emerged no satisfactory explanation for Gillespie’s decision. One theory is that, as someone not regarded as slavishly partisan, he fretted over the prospect of being challenged in this year’s primary by a MAGA type in the formerly con gured district. Another is that he was determined to prove that he could still win the more problematic district as a presumed Republican moderate — one who conspicuously deviated from GOP orthodoxy on the issue of guns, among other issues. Yet a third theory is that Gillespie simply wishes to represent the concerns of Memphis’ Poplar Corridor business community.
In any case, the District 97 race is regarded statewide as something of a coin- ip race — a test case of sorts regarding future partisan tendencies and the Democrats’ best chance of altering the current statistical ratio in the House, which stands at 75 Republicans and 24 Democrats. e race could hinge on the two candidates’ contrasting positions
continued on page 12
Arlington Safe Room, 11842 Otto Ln., Arlington, 38002
Baker Community Center, 7942 Church Rd., Millington, 38053
Briarwood Community Church, 1900 N. Germantown Pkwy., Cordova, 38016
Collierville Church of Christ, 575 W. Shelton Rd., Collierville, 38017
Compassion Church, 3505 S. Houston Levee Rd., Germantown, 38139
Dave Wells Community Center, 915 Chelsea Ave., Memphis, 38107
Gaisman Community Center, 4221
Macon Rd., Memphis, 38122
Ed Rice Community Center, 2935 N. Watkins St., Memphis, 38127
Glenview Community Center, 1141 S. Barksdale St., Memphis, 38114
Greater Lewis Street Baptist Church, 152 E. Parkway N., Memphis, 38104
Greater Middle Baptist Church, 4982 Knight Arnold Rd., Memphis, 38118 Harmony Church, 6740 St. Elmo Rd., Bartlett, 38135
I. H. Clubhouse Lakeland, 4523 Canada Rd., Lakeland, 38002
Mississippi Blvd. Church - Family Life Center, 70 N. Bellevue Blvd., Memphis, 38104
White Station Church of Christ, 1106 Colonial Rd., Memphis, 38117
PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER Jesse Huseth
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on crime, which re ect an ongoing showdown between state and city. Huseth is a strong supporter of three referenda on the Memphis ballot that seek citizen support for “trigger” laws that would allow possible local reinstitution of gun permit requirements, the banning of assault ri e sales, and the imposition of “red ag” laws allowing judges to con scate rearms from likely o enders. e Democratic candidate is an adherent as well of District Attorney General Steve Mulroy’s call for a new Memphis crime lab that would facilitate detection and prosecution of violent crime.
Gillespie has allied himself with state Senator Brent Taylor, a declared foe of Mulroy, in aggressive sponsorship of legislation strengthening anti-crime penalties and counteracting local options on matters of sentencing. Gillespie authored a bill striking down the Memphis City Council’s ban of “preemptive” tra c stops based on minor infractions.
Partisan races exist in several other legislative districts, where the incumbents are heavily favored. e contests are: Democratic incumbent Larry Miller vs. Republican Larry Hunter in House District 88; Democratic incumbent G.A. Hardaway vs. Republican Renarda Renee Clariett in District 93; Democratic incumbent Antonio Parkinson vs. the GOP’s Cecil Hale in District 98; and Republican incumbent Tom Leatherwood vs. Democrat William P. Mouzon in District 99.
U.S. SENATE
Democrats have not come out ahead in a statewide race in Tennessee since then-Governor Phil Bredesen fairly handily won reelection in 2006. By the time Bredesen was next on the ballot, in a race for the U.S. Senate in 2018, he was defeated with equal ease by archconservative Republican state Senator Marsha Blackburn.
Nothing more clearly indicates the sea change in Tennessee partisan politics which occurred in the meantime, with the rapid shi of Tennessee from the status of a bellwether state to one in which Republican domination of state a airs had become a given.
Blackburn is up for reelection this year, and Democratic hopes are vested in the aforementioned Gloria Johnson, who won prominence as a member of the “Tennessee ree,” the Democratic House members who drew the ire of the Republican leadership for their assertive support of gun safety protesters in 2023.
Both Blackburn and Johnson have well-deserved reputations for intense partisanship, with Blackburn being a
mainline supporter of former President Donald J. Trump, of strong action against illegal immigration, and of MAGA causes in general, and Johnson being equally vigorous in espousal of Democratic positions on such matters as reproductive freedom and climate change. She has clashed repeatedly with Republicans in the legislature and, a er being gerrymandered out of one state House seat by the GOP supermajority, returned to the General Assembly as the representative of another.
E orts by Democrats and others to arrange debates between the two candidates have so far foundered on a con dent and nancially well-endowed Blackburn’s reluctance to entertain them, but various polls have suggested that underdog Johnson, bene ciary of a recent fundraiser at the Annesdale Mansion in Memphis, may be within striking distance.
CONGRESSIONAL RACES
Incumbent Democrat Steve Cohen is heavily favored against Charlotte Bergmann, a perennial Republican opponent of his in the Memphisbased 9th District, while Republican incumbent David Kusto in the 8th District has a scrappy challenger in Sarah Freeman of Germantown, who hopes to revive a dormant Democratic base in the rural enclaves of that West Tennessee district.
e e ect of the 2024 presidential race on any and all of these local races is somewhat harder than usual to estimate. Normally a heavy Democratic turnout in Memphis precincts for the presidential race in ates the totals of Democrats running in local districts. And that e ect could be augmented by a larger turnout than usual among women voters who favor the Democratic position on behalf of abortion rights and who might be in uenced by the fact of a woman, Kamala Harris, heading the Democratic ticket. But local Republican candidates, too, can expect a boost, from whatever turnout the Trump/ MAGA base can command.
PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER
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RiverArtsFest
By Abigail Morici
e annual RiverArtsFest returns to the Memphis riverfront this weekend for its 18th year. As the largest and longest-running ne arts festival in the region, this year’s festival features 165 artists participating in the artist market, with artists from 31 states including 13 local artists.
“ e quality of the artwork is superb,” says Denise Ford, the fest’s artist market director. “We are ranked number 19 in the country as the top ne arts festivals by Sunshine Artist Magazine, which is a magazine that’s devoted to art fairs and festivals in the country, … and those rankings are done by the artists themselves.
“ ere are many that come back year a er year. Probably a third of the artists are new to the festival each year, so it always stays fresh. ere’s something for everybody.
ere are ber artists; there are people who make baskets. It’s not all just art to hang on the wall; it’s a little bit of everything.”
And the day has a little bit of everything, too. “ ere’s hands-on art,” Ford says. “People will be able to actually create a piece of artwork and take it with them.”
Six local artists will also demonstrate their cra : Brandy Boyd (metalsmithing), Rick Cannon (woodturning), Katey Henriksen Gardner (papermaking), Jarvis Howard (papermaking), Nicola Tupis (glassblowing), and Becky Ziemer (pottery). “ e nice thing about that is that people can interact with them directly and ask them questions,” Ford says, adding that these artists will also be selling their work.
Both days will have live entertainment on two stages: the ARTSmemphis Partners Stage for performing arts groups, like Hot Foot Honeys Tap Dance Company and Opera Memphis, and the RiverArtsFest South Stage strictly for music. Proceeds from the festival support year-round community and arts education programming for students, arts educators, and the public. “We try to provide paid opportunities for as many local artists as we can in the community, and some of that entails them teaching master classes in area schools, or partnering with an art teacher in a local school on a project that they jointly work on with their students,” Ford says.
In that mission of supporting local artists, for the festival, organizers also commissioned artists to create the murals for their tent walls, instead of having plain white tents, and their collectible poster features art by Carl E. Moore. “We also have an emerging artist program and that is another local opportunity,” Ford adds. Selected participants receive mentorship from professional local artists and free booth space at the festival. is year they are Dana DeLarme, Leigh Sandlin, and Hank Smith.
For more information on this year’s fest and to purchase tickets, visit riverartsmemphis.org.
RIVERARTSFEST, RIVERSIDE DRIVE BETWEEN JEFFERSON AND BEALE, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19-20, 10 A.M.-5 P.M., $10/ONE-DAY GENERAL ADMISSION, $15/TWO-DAY GENERAL ADMISSION, $5/YOUTH AGES 6-17, FREE/CHILDREN 5 AND UNDER.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES October 17th - 23rd
Family Fun Day
Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum, Saturday, October 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
As part of the Metal Museum’s fundraiser Repair Days, the museum is hosting a Family Fun Day, o ering hands-on activities, demonstrations, and kid-friendly games on museum grounds, plus free admission.
Guests can make their own wire gures and paint their own metal or plaster molds for free. ere are also a few paid activities, where you can take away your very own sculpture. Be sure to stick around for the big Iron Pour at 2 to 4 p.m. as glowing orange molten iron is poured into molds, creating solid pieces as it cools.
e museum’s Master Metalsmith Preston Jackson will give an artist talk at 4 p.m. RSVP for the talk at metalmuseum.org.
e ticketed Repair Days
Dinner + Auction is Saturday at 7 to 9 p.m.
You can bring your metal items to the museum to have them restored, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., for Repair Days. Find more information at metalmuseum.org/repair-days.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Memphis
Shelby Farms Park, Saturday, October 19, 9:30 a.m.
Making Strides has always been more than just a walk; it’s a movement. e American Cancer Society is making it easier for anyone, anywhere, to make an impact. ey know the future can be free from breast cancer.
is year’s day of fellowship and fundraising will have lots of family-friendly fun, so bring the whole family and make a morning of it. e event opens at 9:30 a.m.
with lots of things to do, the onstage program starts at 10:20 a.m., and the walk begins at 11 a.m. Register at makingstrideswalk. org/memphistn.
First and foremost a fundraising event for the Cooper-Young Community Association (CYCA), the Cooper-Young Beerfest brings more than 30 local and regional brewers within a day’s drive from CooperYoung to the historic neighborhood. Tickets include a 2024 Beerfest mug, unlimited samples of beer, and a great time. Goner Records will supply tunes, and food will be available for purchase from local food trucks.
Get tickets at tinyurl.com/ mrja34e9.
PHOTO: COURTESY RIVERARTSFEST e fest returns for its 18th year.
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Kurt Vile’s Memphis Pilgrimage
e auteur is set to record at Easley-McCain, which spawned some of his favorite albums.
Certain musical artists are so unorthodox that it’s hard to compare them to their peers. In a process akin to world-building in lm or literature, they can’t be assessed in conventional terms:
ey’ve woven together such disparate in uences as to be standing alone in a universe of their own making. For the past 15 years or so, no one has epitomized this quality more than Kurt Vile.
For starters, that’s his real name, not a clever, punk-infused spin on Bertolt Brecht’s songwriting partner, Kurt Weill. at’s but one clue that this auteur, far from being a calculating hipster, is coming from a place that’s disarmingly sincere. Indeed, his lyrics so defy traditional rhyming schemes and meter that they register more like conversational incantations, meandering excerpts from a diary, dream journal, or friendly chat that Vile intones word-for-word, beatfor-beat, throughout a song as one would with rhyming verses and chorus. And he sings these incantations over music that seamlessly blends elements of classic rock, psychedelia, folk rock, and noise rock as if the entirety of rock history occurred in one simultaneous Big Bang, not spread out over decades.
Yet Vile appreciates those eras preceding him with the delity and care of a music historian. at’s one thing that’s bringing him to Memphis. But it’s not the Memphis of the Sun, Stax, or Hi labels that so many pilgrims have enshrined. is is the gonzo Memphis of the ’90s, when alternative artists ocked to the Blu City primarily for one reason: Easley-McCain Recording.
When Doug Easley and Davis McCain moved from their backhouse studio to a larger location, the former Onyx Studio on Deadrick Avenue, they did so at the dawn of the ’90s, a time when indie music’s star was rising. eir approach, melding exacting engineering standards with an improvised, everything-but-thekitchen-sink approach that de ed the overly sterile approach of most studios, was perfect for artists who wanted to deconstruct the elements of rock history and refashion it into something more alien and unpredictable. For a young Kurt Vile, the aesthetic of records made at Easley-McCain then was a revelation.
“I can remember when Starlite Walker, the Silver Jews record, came out,” Vile says today. “I was just a teenager in high school, and I maybe even cut school to go to my local suburban Philadelphia record store, and I took it home, and those voices just cut right through. ere was an introduction with Steve [Malkmus]
PHOTO (ABOVE): ADAM LANGELLOTTI Kurt Vile
PHOTO (RIGHT): NEAL BLEDSOE
Doug Easley and Matt Qualls at Easley-McCain Recording
and David [Berman] saying, ‘Hello, my friends …’ en David’s voice just cuts through: ‘Troubles, no troubles on the line …’ I would say that’s the rst Doug Easley record that hit me super hard. And I was, what, 15?”
One can trace a straight line from that album, full of Berman’s own poetic/ conversational incantations, to Vile’s body of work. But that was just a fraction of Easley-McCain’s output at time, and young Vile began soaking up other albums cut there. “Pavement’s Wowee Zowee was my gateway drug!” he quips, then rattles o another half dozen seminal works recorded at the Memphis studio.
“I also love Jon Spencer’s Orange,” he says. “And Washing Machine by Sonic Youth. ‘ e Diamond Sea’ [the album’s closing track] is probably my favorite epic, long song out there.” Like those ’90s classics, Vile, in his own way, seems to be rebuilding rock history from spare parts. Having started as a home recordist (with even his 2009 Matador Records debut containing two tracks, “Overnite Religion” and “Blackberry Song,” recorded in his home years earlier), it’s understandable that the Easley-McCain aesthetic, which seemingly preserves home recording’s anything-goes spirit in a professional studio setting, would instantly appeal to Vile. Indeed, while passing through Memphis years ago, he made a pilgrimage there, or at least to
Easley-McCain’s current home on Kelly Road, which has much of the vibe of the old Deadrick location. “When I saw that place, nally, it had all those vibes in there,” says Vile. “It’s got that cozy house, chill vibe. It’s not sterile. Everything’s organic and blends together, more than I’ve ever seen in a studio.” at home vibe is so important to Vile that, a er having made many recordings in professional studios since his Matador days, he’s come full circle and mainly records at home now, albeit in a dedicated space with more high-end equipment than when he started. at makes it all the more notable that next week he’ll be doing sessions at Easley-McCain. “We went through Easley and all the lights ashed,” says Vile. “It’s this other place. You’ve got to step out and go to another professional zone, eventually. But, like I say, it’s professional, but it’s got the cool kind of grit as well, and that’s what feels
cozy. Not to mention, it’s Doug Easley! With a nice young guy, Matt [Qualls], who really rules — a nice young guy with energy to help, who’s really good.” And yet, for Vile, it’s just as important to play a live show while here. at will happen on Tuesday, October 22nd, at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way, just before he and his band, the Violators, start tracking with Easley. “We’ve been together so long now as this unit that we know how to just set up and perform for the people and for ourselves. And ideally you want to set up like that in the studio as well. We like to start a session at the end of a tour or something. So we’re booking this one show to perform in real time, and then carry that over to the studio. Also, I’m really excited to play with Optic Sink. I met them last time we played. I just love the vibe in Memphis. Within a really short span, I tapped into the scene pretty quick.”
SAT 11.9.24 10AM-4PM
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule
October 17 - 23
Amadeus: The Music and the Myth
Join Robert Moody, Opera Memphis, and the MSO for an exploration of Mozart, with selections from Symphony No. 25, e Magic Flute, Idomeneo, Don Giovanni, and his towering Requiem. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30-9:15 p.m.
CANNON CENTER FOR THE PER-
FORMING ARTS
The Lisa Nobumoto Jazz Masters Orchestra: A Tribute to Nancy Wilson e concert is also an art festival and vendor merchandising event. Sip beverages, sit and listen, or walk and shop. Each ticket holder will receive a free gi bag. $25. Sunday, Oct. 20, 1-7 p.m.
THE HALLORAN CENTRE
The Reunion Tour
e Reunion Tour features Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, e Clark Sisters, and special guest Kierra SheardKelly. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
Van Duren
e singer/songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo. ursday, Oct. 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Abnormally Deceased
With Martyaloka, Autolith, Ritual Fog [Small RoomDownstairs]. Saturday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Band of Heathens
ursday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m.
RAILGARTEN
Deerfrance (New York)
With Lorette Velvette, Marquis de Coco Nut (France), Doughrollers. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Devil Train
Bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and ski e. ursday, Oct. 17, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Hans Williams
e Vermont native, singersongwriter Hans Williams makes his Memphis debut, coming o debut headline tour and EP, More an One Way Home. ursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
James Godwin With Howlin’ Hurd (NY).
Sunday, Oct. 20, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Joe Restivo 4
Guitarist Joe Restivo leads one of the city’s nest jazz quartets.
Sunday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Little Baby Tendencies With Pure Intentions, Jadewick, Risky Whispers. Saturday, Oct. 19, 9:30 p.m.
B-SIDE
Mak Ro: Love in The Dark Mak Ro is a duo of FilipinoAmerican cousins based in Memphis, Eric Makapugay and Kristo er Ruaro, who blend neo-soul and R&B with edgy, genre-crossing in uences. $20/ADV, $25/DOS.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
An evening of dancing presented by Overton Park Shell, Saturday Sunset is a musically uid, multifaceted self-contained band. $12. ursday, Oct. 17, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Tangela
With Qemist. ursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
The Delirium Effect With Banales and live wrestling [Big Room-Upstairs]. Friday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m. HI TONE
The Motet & Keller Williams Saturday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m.
RAILGARTEN
The Russian White With Solemn Shapes. Sunday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
Tina Turner Tribute Sunday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m. B-SIDE
Vinyl Happy Hour
With guest DJs every Friday. Friday, Oct. 18, 3-5 p.m.
MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
PHOTO: COURTESY KAI ERIC Deerfrance
Kurt Vile
Vile has been dubbed “indie rock’s most charming riddle” by e New York Times. With Optic Sink. 18+. $45. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Concerts in The Grove — Rachel Maxann
With powerhouse vocals and profound depth, Rachel delivers a live show that is nothing short of electrifying.
$9. ursday, Oct. 17, 6:30-8 p.m.
THE GROVE AT GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Fall Fest Memphis Music Festival
Featuring Rock e Boat, umpdaddy on Friday; and the ShotGunBillys, Southbound, Mariachi Fiesta Band, Kruzz Kuntrol, Area 61, Amber McCain, Generation X, and Elevation Memphis on Saturday. Friday, Oct. 18-Oct. 19.
ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC CHURCH
First Annual Worshipfest
A free outdoor worship concert with the Highland Heights Praise Band and Irish gospel singer, songwriter, and producer Colin Elliott. Free. Saturday, Oct. 19, 5-8 p.m.
Michael Feinstein in “Because of You,” featuring the Carnegie Hall Ensemble
A tribute to Tony Bennett. $65. Saturday, Oct. 19, 8-9:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Richard Wilson Soulful Jazz and Bossanova Smooth and soulful. ursday, Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | Friday, Oct. 18, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
JACKIE MAE’S PLACE
S’AIDA
CALENDAR of EVENTS: October 17 - 23
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“All Rise: Memphis Bar Association at 150” rough arresting objects and powerful images, the exhibition showcases the Memphis Bar Association’s historical signi cance and continuing relevance. rough Nov. 10.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Andrea Morales: “Roll Down Like Water”
Featuring 65 photographs spanning a decade of work by the photographer. rough Jan. 31.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Beyond the Surface:”
The Art of Handmade Paper, Part I
Featuring handmade paper creations showcasing a variety of techniques that expand our understanding of the medium, created at Dieu Donne. rough Dec. 15.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Billy Renkl: “Corporal Gestures”
Renkl works with vintage and antique paper. rough Nov. 16.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Huger Foote: “Two Rivers”
“If you look through Huger’s photographs backwards and forwards, you can feel the tension of a mysterious hidden story, one that keeps emerging and vanishing.” — Bernardo Bertolucci. rough Nov. 16.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
“Manor in Mourning” e exhibit will feature over 100 19th century mourning artifacts. rough Oct. 31.
DAVIES MANOR HISTORIC SITE
Master Metalsmith
Preston Jackson: “A Hidden Culture”
Honoring the Metal Museum’s 38th master metalsmith, this exhibition “reveals history that has been buried, forgotten, or deemed unimportant by society.” rough Jan. 26.
METAL MUSEUM
Huger Foote’s “Two Rivers” is now on display at David Lusk Gallery through November 16th.
“Meeting Room:” The 6 Points Artists
Featuring six artists — Sharon Havelka, Mary Jo Karimnia, Paula Kovarik, Carrol McTyre, Jennifer Sargent, Mary K. VanGieson. rough Nov. 27.
SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“Pissarro to Picasso:”
Masterworks from the Kirkland Family Collection
Visitors to the Dixon will be able to enjoy 18 art treasures from the Kirkland family’s collection. rough Jan. 26.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Sayali Abhyankar:
“Dhara (Mother Earth)”
Sayali Abhyankar’s acrylic paintings feature vibrant colors and intricate patterns based in two traditional Indian folk art styles. rough Nov. 27.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
“Southern Heritage Classic Exhibit”
e exhibition tells the story of Fred Jones Jr., the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic. rough Feb. 28.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
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
ART HAPPENINGS
“A Kind Eye at the Right Time”
Photographs By Corrina Repp & Geo rey Brent Shrewsbury, from pastel light to the gutters of Memphis punk rock. Opening reception. Sunday, Oct. 20,
2-6 p.m.
BRANTLEY ELLZEY’S SUMMER STUDIO
Art on Fire
Enjoy a bon re on the Dixon’s South Lawn with music, food and drinks, and an art sale.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7-11 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Embracing the Abject Identity” Opening Sculpture and multimedia installation work by Cheryl Hazelton. Free. Friday, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m.
THE MARTHA AND ROBERT FOGEL-
MAN GALLERIES OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Hot Off the Wall Art Sale Discover works of art by celebrated and emerging artists from Memphis and beyond. Proceeds bene t the Dixon’s education programs. rough Oct. 19.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Kevin A. Williams: “Native Son” Opening Reception Williams is one of the most celebrated gurative storytellers of this era, and his paintings are the most widely circulated urban ne art series in the world. Saturday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m.
HYATT CENTRIC
Repair Days
Bring your metal items to the Metal Museum to have them restored to their former glory.
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.
ursday, Oct. 17-Oct. 20. METAL MUSEUM
BOOK EVENTS
Pansy Pre-release Book Signing and Q & A Join Pansy author Jasper Joyner for a pre-release book signing and discussion with novelist, educator, and DeMoir Books & ings owner, Jeremee DeMoir. Free. Saturday, Oct. 19, 1-5 p.m.
DEMOIR BOOKS & THINGS
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Baptist Health Sciences University’s SHE Leads the Way Symposium Baptist Health Sciences University’s HealthCORE Program hosts the third annual SHE (Science, Health, Empowerment) Leads the Way Symposium with Memphis rst lady Jamila Smith-Young. Free. Monday, Oct. 21, 5:30-7 p.m.
DR. H. EDWARD GARRETT SR. AUDITORIUM AT BAPTIST MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL-MEMPHIS
Building a Native Garden with Brie Arthur Arthur wrote e Foodscape Revolution and Gardening with Grains and contributed to the PBS program Growing a Greener World. ursday, Oct. 17, 5:30 p.m.
Learn how to identify trees from bark, leaves, and buds in this entry-level class. A clipboard or notebook is suggested. Wednesday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Homegrown
Apothecary: Tinctures, Soaks, and Oils
Learn to make your own tinctures, soaks, and oils with locally grown owers and herbs. $45. Sunday, Oct. 20, 2 p.m.
MIDTOWN BRAMBLE AND BLOOM
Paint and Picnic at Overton Park
Enjoy a painting activity in the Overton Park formal gardens. Saturday, Oct. 19, 2-4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
Pressed Flower Candle Workshop
Learn to embellish candles with pressed owers during this 60-minute workshop. $35. ursday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m.
MIDTOWN BRAMBLE AND BLOOM
Sugar Skull Face
Painting Workshop
Learn how to transform yourself into a vibrant sugar skull, a beautiful tradition associated with the Day of the Dead celebration. 16+. $30. ursday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m.
CAZATEATRO OFFICE
COMEDY
Loudmouth Comedy
Hosted by Allison McArthur. Friday, Oct. 18, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
The Second City: 65th Anniversary Show
With material handpicked from Second City’s iconic comedy archive and brought to life by their all-star ensemble. 18+. $40-$50. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
THE HALLORAN CENTRE
COMMUNITY
Baptist’s Smash Cancer Tennis Tournament
Serve up hope! A premier event bene ting Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Baptist Cancer Center Patient Assistance Fund. Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-noon.
LEFTWICH TENNIS CENTER
Blooms and Brews
beverages, and live music by Candace and Robert Mache.
Dracula Party Party like a vampire. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Memphis
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a noncompetitive fundraising walk with no registration fee or minimum donation required. All are welcome! Free. Saturday, Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
National Civil Right Museum’s 33rd Freedom Award
Since 1991, the Freedom Award has honored distinguished individuals who have made great global and national impact. Honoring Xernona Clayton, Spike Lee, and Sherrylin I ll. $150-$225. ursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
FAMILY
Halloween Hike
Some not-so-spooky fun at this safe, daytime alternative to traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating. Costumes are encouraged. Featuring food trucks and live music from Andrew Best. Saturday, Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Halloween Vendor Market
Experience a day of spooky shopping and ghoulish fun at a free, family-friendly pop-up market. Sunday, Oct. 20, noon-6 p.m.
MEMPHIS ART SALON AT MINGLEWOOD HALL
MoSH STEAM Fest Days
In conjunction with the Tennessee STEAM Festival, discovery carts will be stationed throughout the museum featuring STEAM activities on microscopes, light and color, nutrition, and physics. ursday, Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Friday, Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Wednesday, Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
FESTIVAL
Cordelia’s Market Fall Fest & Trunk-or-Treat
Enjoy a festive trunk-or=treat, live music, and a vibrant costume parade. ere will be face-painting for the kids, delicious food and drinks, and a variety of local vendors to explore. Free. Sunday, Oct. 20, noon-4 p.m.
CORDELIA’S MARKET
not-sospooky fun.
Celebrate Huey’s Community Garden. Enjoy food, local
PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID LUSK GALLERY
PHOTO: COURTESY MBG Memphis Botanic Garden’s Halloween Hike promises some
Fall Fest Memphis
A two-day music fest, a backyard barbecue cook-off, a car show, a vendor fair, a food truck fair, and a carnival with rides. Friday, Oct. 18Oct. 19.
ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC CHURCH
Pink Noire Beauty Supply & Cosmetics
Fall Fest
Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a range of beauty treatments, showcasing the expertise of talented professionals. Saturday, Oct. 19, noon-2 p.m.
PINK NOIRE
Raleigh Bicentennial Celebration
It’s time to commemorate 200 years of culture, history, and community in the Raleigh Neighborhood. This in-person event promises a day filled with live music, delicious food, fun activities, and more. Free. Sunday, Oct. 20, 1-7 p.m.
RALEIGH SPRINGS CIVIC CENTER
RiverArtsFest
RiverArtsFest is the region’s largest and longestrunning fine arts festival showcasing works from 200+ participating artists from around the Mid-South and across the nation. $10/general admission. Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
RIVERSIDE DR MEMPHIS TN
Southwest Twin Harvest Festival
Vendors, food trucks, entertainment, and activities for all ages. Saturday, Oct. 19, noon-4:30 p.m.
An event full of community, connection, and consciousness. Lots of crystals, merchandise, and healthy living products. Speakers all day, each day. $11/single day ticket, $17/weekend pass. Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
Superhero Fall Festival
Enjoy food, trick or treating, costume contests, interactive fun, and more! Sponsored by Chickfil-A. A fast food dinner will be included with ticket purchase. $12. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 4:30 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
FILM
Haunted Mansion
Overton Square Movie Night in the Chimes Square courtyard on Trimble Place. Blankets and folding chairs welcome. Free. Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
OVERTON SQUARE
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Time Warp Drive-In: King of HorrorA Stephen King Shocktober Screening Creepshow, Pet Semetary, and Misery $25/carload. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
MALCO SUMMER 4 DRIVE-IN
Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party
A documentary that captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the Long After Dark album. Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m. MALCO CORDOVA CINEMA
The 1974 comdey directed by Mel Brooks. Saturday, Oct. 19, 2:30 p.m.
CROSSTOWN THEATER
FOOD AND DRINK
Celtic Crossing’s Oyster Fest
It’s time to *shell*ebrate. Saturday, Oct. 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
CELTIC CROSSING
Cordelia’s Market Thanksgiving Tasting A Thanksgiving sampler. Savor a delicious plate for just $10 and get a taste of the season. Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5-7 p.m.
CORDELIA’S MARKET
Zootoberfest
Featuring local breweries and a commemorative beer stein. Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS ZOO
HEALTH AND FITNESS
The Pizza Witches’ Witchy Workout & Pizza Party
A 45-minute workout for all levels to the spookiest Halloween tunes. Includes workout, pizza, and dessert. Participants should bring their own mats and towels for end of class stretching. $10.
Monday, Oct. 21, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
PERFORMING ARTS
Memphis Matters
An audience member will share a reflection, moment, or story, whether lighthearted or funny, moving or difficult. Then, an ensemble dramatizes that story, reenacting the teller’s story with care. $20. Saturday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
THEATRESOUTH
Rainbow Rumble
Contestants create looks that narrate the story of love’s complexities. With Imagene Azengraber, Simplicity, Cam, Eliza Meow, Papa Chubb, Onyx Davenport. 18+. $15. Thursday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
ACROSS
1 What you might do if you skip a step
5 Like oldfashioned diapers
10 “Selma” director DuVernay
13 ✮✮✮✮ review
14 “Tiny Bubbles” crooner
15 Onetime ruler in the Winter Palace
16 Insomniac’s complaint
19 Japanese lunch box
20 Root beer brand
21 Half-___ (coffee option)
22 Alternative to Tide or Cheer
23 Leaving dirty dishes on the counter, say
27 ___ cava
Spillit Slam
Storytellers have seven minutes to tell a true personal narrative (well, mostly true). After 10 stories the audience will pick a Slam winner for the evening. Saturday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
“Sweet Tea” Sundays: Tea Dance & Show
Featuring Wednesday Moss, Kiera Mason, Will Ryder, Aubrey Ombre, and MC Taye Jadore Cassadine. Sunday, Oct. 20, 3 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
SPORTS
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
THEATER
The Comedy of Errors
When two sets of twins separated at birth reunite, mistaken identities lead to madcap mayhem. Free. Sunday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
The Smell of the Kill
Regional premiere of a hilarious dark comedy where real housewives are tempted to let their husbands … go. $26/adults, $21/seniors 60+, $16/students/teachers, $16/military, $10/ sensory-friendly . Friday, Oct. 18, 7:30-9:30
Crossword
28 Firefighter tool
29 Limit
31 Part of a Swiss roll?
33 Ambulance figure, for short
34 Green stone
35 Rain heavily
36 Sexy detective
38 Bay ___
39 Force on the ground
40 Abbr. in a criminal profile
41 Like the posts at the top of a blog, typically
43 Growling dog
44 Showy neckwear
45 Fifth book of the New Testament
46 Works like an anti-aging serum
49 West Coaster’s summer hrs.
52 Fed-up feeling
53 Certain library loan
54 Lessen, as fears
56 Liquid evidenced by the answers to this puzzle’s italicized clues?
60 Tiny bit
61 Off the table?
62 Part of N.B.
63 First word of many California city names
64 “___ Anatomy”
65 General ___ chicken
DOWN
1 Group making a reservation?
2 Go-kart, e.g.
3 Ex of the Donald
4 Confined, with “up”
5 Contents of jewel cases, for short
6 Nabokov novel
7 Last year before A.D.
8 1931 boxing movie for which Wallace Beery won a Best Actor Oscar
9 “___ on it!”
10 “Yeah, whatever”
11&12 Actress Joan whose last name consists of two different conveyances
A walk through the cemetery after the gates have closed. $25. Friday, Oct. 18, 5:30-7 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
Haunted Pub Crawl
Visit three local bars for ghost stories, dark history, and tales of the paranormal. Friday, Oct. 18, 7:30-10 p.m.
THE BROOM CLOSET
Scandals & Scoundrels: A Tour of Elmwood Cemetery
Passion, crime, and stories of the fall-out. $20. Saturday, Oct. 19, 3-4:30 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
The Last Word: Epitaphs of Elmwood Cemetery
Explore the fascinating epitaphs of Elmwood Cemetery. $20. Saturday, Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m.noon.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
The Plagues of Memphis: Part 2
More of what used to kill us. $20. Sunday, Oct. 20, 2-3 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
Edited by Will Shortz No.
25 Wiped
Highest-grossing film before “Star Wars”
___-12 (N.C.A.A. conference)
37 “As you wish,” to a spouse 42 Allen or Hawke 44 Rush-hour sound
45 Actress Hepburn
47 The Krusty ___ (SpongeBob SquarePants’s workplace)
H, as in Athens
48 Egg-shaped 49
PUZZLE BY ERIK AGARD, AMANDA
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Will Crislip, 24, was impressed with this year’s Mempho Music Festival, which was held October 4th, 5th, and 6th at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
“I would say it was the best organized festival I’ve been to in Memphis in terms of space and food and everything,” he says. “A lot of space for everybody.”
He liked the variety of music, too. And he got to hear Jack White for the rst time. “Jack White was my favorite. I never listened to his music before and it was awesome.”
Ticket sales to the seventh Mempho Music Festival exceeded 20,000 according to a news release, which states, “Set against the backdrop of Radians Amphitheater within the picturesque Memphis Botanic Garden, festival-goers immersed themselves in three unforgettable days of music and celebration, further cementing Mempho’s status as a cornerstone of the live music community.”
e event showcased “an unrivaled lineup of musical entertainment, rich culinary endeavors, and a celebration of the vibrant community.”
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Christian and Molly Carmichael circle: Dylan Powell below: (le to right) Mary Milne, Kayla Mount, and Neano Grimes; Christopher Sartain and Julia Baker; Carrie Carter and David Simpson
above: Chris McCoy and Laura Jean Hocking circle: Sequoia Taylor below: (le to right) Will Nichols, Kassidy Jane, and Austin Miller; Shelby Cavagnaro and Buck Morris bottom: Camie Cole and Andrew Ball right row: (top to bottom) Fred Schae er and Brett Grinder; Cory Coleman, Ayana “DJ Lola” Cage, and TaMetra Robinson; Kelcie Zepatos
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Local on Main Street Reopens
New furniture, new menu, new look.
Local on Main Street celebrated its grand reopening Saturday, October 12th. e restaurant at 95 South Main Street closed late September, but it’s back with a new look and new furnishings, says Tim Quinn, who, along with his wife Tarrah, owns the restaurant as well as Madison Tavern, formerly Local on the Square, in Overton Square.
And on October 19th, the Quinns will open a new business in the basement of Local on Main Street, e Other Side, which will carry cannabisbased products.
Quinn, who bought Local on Main Street on January 15, 2021, just felt it was time to overhaul the restaurant, which originally opened about 12 years before they bought it. “I just gured it could use some freshening up. We closed it down and gave it a new paint job, some new furniture, and a new menu. And that’s hopefully something that will get the attention of the neighborhood.”
Describing the decor, he says, “We painted some of the wood a whiter color. We brightened it some. It’s been a stained wood for a long time.”
e new butcher block tabletops “are a lighter color.”
And, he says, “It just always had a dimmer atmosphere, so I gured a few bright colors would brighten it up a little bit. And we put up some new pictures. A small change for the clientele, but nothing too crazy. Nothing too drastic.”
e artwork includes pieces by Ron Wood, a photographer who lives Downtown. Wood and his wife Jackie have been regulars since the Quinns took over both places.
e restaurant still seems intimate even though it seats 45 upstairs, 15 at the bar, and 15 outdoors.
As for the food, the new menu has “maybe a New Orleans feel to it. A Jackson Square feel.”
ey feature jambalaya, gumbo, and traditional po’ boys on the menu. “A boiled-shrimp-served-cold po’ boy.”
e menu is “mostly Creole New Orleans-type dishes,” but, Quinn says, “We’re keeping our egg rolls on the menu because people are knocking on the door daily — even while we were painting — asking if I have any egg rolls I can fry up.”
ey will continue to feature hot wings the menu, but they’ve changed the wing sauce that they’ve “used for 15 years. It was time to get rid of it.”
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
Tim Quinn, co-owner of Local on Main Street, has put a New Orleans-spin to the menu.
“We’re keeping our egg rolls on the menu because people are knocking on the door daily — even while we were painting — asking if I have any egg rolls.”
And, Quinn adds, “If anybody wants the recipe, I’ll give it to them. But they’ve got to come buy a beer.”
Customers can order co ee and tea upstairs and then go downstairs to add a “cannabis accoutrement” to it at e Other Side, but they can’t sit down and order from the Local on Main Street menu. e basement space is where they can buy cannabis-related products. “All legal Tennessee THCA Delta-9, Delta-8, things of that nature. Some edibles, pre-rolls.”
Downstairs will “be strictly a
dispensary or an apothecary deal. It’s not going to be a smoking lounge or anything of that nature.”
“We don’t have a cannabis menu at all,” Quinn says, but he plans to o er THCA-infused desserts at the restaurant. “ ere will be toppings and cannabis desserts and some other things we will be incorporating into the restaurant.
“You can do cheesecake with an infused-caramel topping or brownies added with THCA.”
Local on Main Street will eventually
get a new name, but Quinn says, “We’re not really branding it as of right now. Downtown has just seemed, in general, to be in a slump for a lot of people.”
And naming a restaurant isn’t the easiest thing in the world. He thought about naming it a er his family. “At rst I called it Quinn’s, but I hate to put my name on it. It gives it a di erent feel when it’s got someone’s name on it. I don’t know if it makes it more approachable or less approachable.”
Plus, Quinn says, “I’m not going to have Irish food.”
RUMPELSTILTSKIN
OF THE WEIRD
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Celebrities: They’re Just Like Us!
The famous-for-being-famous crowd lit up with a dirty little story in mid-June about Derek Blasberg, 42, a “professional best friend to celebrities,” having a blowout time at Gwyneth Paltrow’s guest cottage in the Hamptons. Variety reported that Blasberg was outed as the culprit behind an “intense bowel movement” that caused considerable damage. Insiders say Blasberg cited his use of the diabetes drug Ozempic as the cause of his distress, but one doubter poohpoohed the idea: “That’s just what he told everyone.” [Variety, 7/5/2024]
Woof!
This year’s Anthrocon gathering in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was about much more than meeting other “furry” friends, KDKA-TV reported. The convention, held on July 4-7, draws people who like to dress as animals and their fans and raises money for charity; this year, donations were solicited for Gray Paws Sanctuary, a Pittsburgh-based volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing senior dogs. With thousands of furries attending the gathering, Anthrocon brought in $100,000 for Gray Paws, breaking a fundraising record. Darla Poole Brescia with Gray Paws was ecstatic: “A hundred-thousand is about our annual operating budget, so we are able to save twice as many dogs this year. The Anthrocon people are the nicest people.” [KDKA, 7/9/2024]
Precocious
A family in Bedford, Ohio, reported their Nissan Rogue and their 8-yearold daughter missing around 9 a.m. on Sept. 15, the Associated Press reported. Police learned that witnesses had seen a small child driving nearby, but it wasn’t until they checked the parking lot at Target, about 13 miles away, that they discovered the car. The girl was inside the store; she told officers that she had hit a mailbox during her journey, but otherwise it went fine. Authorities were weighing whether any charges would be filed. [AP, 9/16/2024]
Awesome!
Poor Crumbs. The now-famous corpulent cat, named for his ability to eat, was found in early September in the basement of a hospital in Perm, Russia, the New York Post reported, where the staff had given him a steady diet of cookies
and soup. When he was discovered, he weighed more than 37 pounds — about three times the average size for a cat — and was unable to support his weight to walk. Crumbs (or Kroshik, in Russian) was moved to the Matroskin Shelter, where workers put him on a strict diet and exercise regimen — apparently not his cup of tea, as he tried to escape on Sept. 11. Rehab expert Ekaterina Bedakova said Crumbs was “extremely displeased” when, during his escape attempt, he got himself stuck in a shoe rack and couldn’t get out. But she was enthused about his effort because it demonstrated that he’s a “very active guy.” [NY Post, 9/13/2024]
News You Can Use
• In Japan, the number of people aged 100 or older has hit a new record — 95,119, AFP reported on Sept. 17. Most of the centenarians are women, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications noted. The world’s oldest person, Tomiko Itooka of western Japan, is 116. Japan’s oldest man, Kiyotaka Mizuno, 110, told local media that he has “no idea at all about what’s the secret to my long life.” [AFP, 9/17/2024]
• About 40 feet off the coast of Miami Beach, the world’s first underwater cemetery is already home to about 1,500 “placements,” ClickOrlando reported on Sept. 17. The Neptune Memorial Reef’s community resource director, Michael Tabers, said the area had already been designated for an artificial reef when “a group of businessmen in the area … had the idea.” The reef was built “from an artist conception of the Lost City of Atlantis”; customers’ cremains are mixed with water and then formed into road columns, archways, or depictions of local sea life, such as starfish or seashells. Then the coral grows around them. “We have sea turtle placements; those are some of our more popular ones,” Taber said. The reef has already been extended once, but when it fills up, “we will launch the next phase,” he said. Coral reef conservation activists are thrilled; the reef provides hard surfaces that help coral to thrive. And loved ones can also dive to visit their family members’ resting places. [ClickOrlando, 9/17/2024]
ARIES (March 21-April 19): As a young adult, I lived in a shack in the North Carolina woods. I was too indigent to buy a car or bicycle, so I walked everywhere I needed to go. Out of necessity, I discovered the practical power of psychic protection. I envisioned myself being surrounded by an impenetrable violet force field and accompanied by the guardian spirits of a panther, wolf, and bear. This playful mystical practice kept me safe. Though I was regularly approached by growling dogs and drunk scoundrels in pickup trucks, I was never attacked. Now would be an excellent time for you to do what I did: put strong psychic protection in place. You’re not in physical danger, but now is a good time to start shielding yourself better against people’s manipulative gambits, bad moods, emotional immaturity, and careless violations.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Dear Rob: I once heard you say that the best method for solving any dilemma is to sit silently, calm my mind, and listen for the ‘still, small voice of the teacher within me.’ I have tried your advice, but I have never detected this voice. What am I doing wrong? — Deprived Taurus.” Dear Taurus: Here’s how to become available for guidance from the still, small voice of your inner teacher. 1. Go someplace quiet, either in nature or a beloved sanctuary. 2. Shed all your ideas and theories about the nature of your dilemma. 3. Tenderly ask your mind to be empty and serene as you await an intuition. 4. Feel sweet gratitude for each breath as you inhale and exhale. 5. Visualize your inner teacher smiling. 6. Make yourself expectant to receive an insightful blessing.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the parlance of people who love to trek in natural places, a “cobbknocker” refers to a hiker who precedes you and knocks down the spider webs crossing the trail. I would love for you to procure a similar service for all your adventures in the coming weeks, not just hiking. See if you can coax or hire helpers to clear a path for you in everything you do. I want you to be able to concentrate on the essentials and not get bogged down or distracted by trivial obstructions. You need spaciousness and ease.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): When you are at your Cancerian best, you nurture others but don’t smother them with excessive care. You give your gifts without undermining your own interests. You are deeply receptive and sensitive without opening yourself to be abused or wounded. In my astrological estimation, you are currently expressing these qualities with maximum grace and precision. Congratulations on your ever-ripening emotional intelligence! I trust you will be rewarded with grateful favors.
Rob Brezsny
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here’s the deal that life is offering: You temporarily suspend your drive to possess crystalline certainty, and you agree to love and thrive on ambiguity and paradox. In return, you will be given help in identifying unconscious and hidden factors at work in your destiny. You will be empowered to make confident decisions without needing them to be perfect. And you will learn more about the wise art of feeling appreciative reverence for great mysteries.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I once had a Virgo girlfriend. She was talented, hardworking, meticulous, organized, health-conscious, and resourceful. She also hated it if I neglected to put the jar of honey back in the cupboard immediately after using it. She would get upset if I neglected to remove my shoes as soon as I entered the house. Her fussy perfectionism wasn’t the reason we ultimately broke up, but it did take a toll on me. I bring this to your attention because I hope you will mostly keep fussy perfectionism to yourself in the coming weeks. It’s fine if you want to indulge it while alone and doing your own work, but don’t demand that others be equally fastidious. Providing this leeway now will serve you well in the long run. You can earn slack and generate good will that comes in handy when you least expect it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Once upon a time, you were more hazardous to yourself than you are now. I’m pleased about the progress you have made to treat yourself with greater care and compassion. It hasn’t been easy. You had to learn mysterious secrets about dealing with your inner troublemaker. You had to figure out how to channel its efforts into generating benevolent and healing trouble. There’s still more work to be done, though. Your inner troublemaker isn’t completely redeemed and reformed. But you now have a chance to bring it more fully into its destined role as your ally and helper.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I predict that your past will soon transform. You may discover new details about old events. Stories you have told and told about your history will acquire new meanings. You will be wise to reinterpret certain plot twists you thought you had figured out long ago. There may not be anything as radical as uncovering wild secrets about your true origins — although I wouldn’t discount that possibility. So expect a surprise or two, Sagittarius. But I suspect you will ultimately be pleased to revise your theories about how you came to be the resilient soul you are now.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Of all the astrological signs, Capricorns are least likely to consult horoscopes. There are many skeptical people among your
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your bulboid corpuscles are specialized nerve cells in your skin that can experience intense tactile pleasure — more so than any other nerve cells. They are located in your lips, tongue, and genitals. According to my analysis of your astrological potentials, these ultrasensitive receptors will be turned on extra high in the coming weeks. So will their metaphysical and metaphorical equivalents. That’s why I predict you will gather in more bliss than you have in a long time. Please give yourself permission to exceed your usual quota.
tribe who say, “Astrology is irrational and illogical. It can’t be precise and accurate, so it’s not even real.” My personal research also suggests, however, that a surprising percentage of Capricorns pretend not to be drawn to astrology even though they actually are. They may even hide their interest from others. How do I feel about all this? It doesn’t affect me as I compose your oracles. I love you as much as the other signs, and I always give you my best effort. Now I suggest that in the coming weeks, you do what I do: Give your utmost in every situation, even if some people are resistant to or doubtful of your contributions. Be confident as you offer your excellence.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are ready to graduate to a higher octave of maturity and wisdom about everything related to love, romance, and sex. It will be instructive to meditate on your previous experiences. So I invite you to ruminate on the following questions. 1. What important lessons have you learned about the kind of togetherness you want? 2. What important lessons have you learned about the kind of togetherness you don’t want? 3. What important lessons have you learned about how to keep yourself emotionally healthy while in an intimate relationship?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Are you longing to feel safe, cozy, and unperturbable? Are you fantasizing about how perfect life would be if you could seal yourself inside your comfort zone and avoid novelty and change for a while? I hope not, Pisces! By my astrological reckoning, you are due for a phase of experimentation and expansion. You will thrive on the challenges of big riddles and intriguing teases. Please take full advantage of this fun opportunity to hone your intuition and move way beyond random guesswork. For extra credit: Prove the theory that it’s very possible to cultivate and attract good luck.
Live from New York
SNL’s origin story becomes a backstage comedy in Saturday Night
early every comedian who has ever worked with him has a Lorne Michaels imitation in their repertoire. Mike Myers, for example, famously based Austin Powers’ nemesis Dr. Evil series on the legendary TV producer. Michaels, a Canadian who got his start in the late 1960s writing for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, holds the record for the most Emmy nominations (106), with 21 wins. His most famous and enduring creation, Saturday Night Live, holds the record for the most Emmy wins, taking in 92 trophies over the 50 years since its debut in 1975.
Michaels is, by all accounts, a demanding and no-nonsense boss, beloved and hated in equal measures. But I guess you have to be like that if you’re going to pull o something as audacious as a 90-minute live television broadcast of original comedy every week for decades. It’s telling that SNL’s creative nadir coincided with Michaels’ four-year hiatus from the show in the
early 1980s. SNL may not drive the cultural conversation the way it used to, but it’s still here, and, thanks to its format of short comedy skits, it’s still relevant in the social media era.
Saturday Night is billed as an origin story for Saturday Night Live, but like SNL itself, it’s really the Lorne Michaels show. Michaels is played by Gabriel LaBelle, who recently portrayed young Steven Spielberg in e Fabelmans, as a brash youngster in way over his head. Interestingly, LaBelle is 22, while Michaels was 31 when SNL rst went live from New York on October 11, 1975. at’s two years before director Jason Reitman was born. He and co-writer Gil Kenan chose to model their lm a er González Iñárritu’s Best Picture winner Birdman, a near-real-time account of the backstage drama on the night a play premieres. is approach necessitates quite a bit of historical revision. While the opening night was apparently a pretty fraught a air, it did not include moments like Milton Berle (J.K. Simmons) whipping it out, or Garrett Morris
(Lamorne Morris, no relation) singing, “I’m gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see!”
Both of those things did happen later in the rst season, though, and this isn’t a documentary. SNL lives or dies every season on the strength of its ensemble, and so does Saturday Night. e main cast, all of whom became legends in their own right, is well represented. Cory Michael Smith is just a little too good looking to be Chevy Chase, but he’s got that frat boy arrogance down. Dan Aykroyd always kind of seemed
like he was doing a character, even when he wasn’t, so Dylan O’Brien’s job is a little easier. Matt Wood most closely resembles his character, John Belushi, but the legend’s manic energy is hard to fake without mountains of cocaine. (One of the lm’s funniest bits is when Morris shows Belushi some pharmaceutical grade yayo he’s been gi ed by Billy
PHOTO: COURTESY SONY Saturday Night, like SNL, lives or dies on the strength of its ensemble.
FILM By Chris McCoy
Preston (Jon Batiste, who also did the score), and Belushi promptly snorts the whole vial.) Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt) and Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn) seem rather thin and underutilized, but then again, that’s how the show treated them in the first season. Jane Curtin (Kim Matula) has her best moment with Morris, wondering what the hell they’re doing here.
They weren’t the only ones. The NBC brass, represented by Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) and David Tebet (Willem Dafoe), seem confused as to what is actually going on the air at 11:30 p.m. Eastern. The biggest historical revelation from the film is that SNL was green-lit to put pressure on Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, who was negotiating a new contract with NBC
at the time. Only Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), Michaels’ ex-wife and writing partner, believes in his vision — whatever it is.
The “Let’s put on a show!” structure ultimately serves Saturday Night well because it forces the filmmakers to keep the individual bits, culled from interviews with the surviving first season cast and crew, short and punchy. It also keeps the moments of maudlin hagiography to a minimum. Saturday Night plays like a good episode of SNL: lots of amusing bits, a couple of belly laughs, and it never outstays its welcome.
Saturday Night Now playing Multiple locations
Laurie Stark Laurie Stark
Since welcoming little one, life expanded while my world contracted
More complexity, less time
Every
I advocate for my baby whether it’s at daycare or the doctor’s office
And every day, I push off one thing my own health.
Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of new moms, with risks can last for months post-partum So, I’m taking action and starting the conversation, with not just my doctor, but with other moms I know, too
Because not only do I want to be a great mom I want to be a mom for a very long time.
THE
LAST WORD By Ken Billett
I Miss Those Crazy Birds
An end-of-summer re ection on perseverance and hope.
e hummingbird swooped down and hovered above a butter y bush, undaunted by the strong winds and rain. Almost on cue, a second tiny bird zoomed in to deny the interloper a chance at a sweet meal. e two hummingbirds performed a sort of airborne ballet, twirling and spinning in the wind, while fanning their tail feathers to make themselves look larger and more menacing.
Eventually, the trespasser retreated and the second hummer, a female, jockeyed for position on a narrow branch of that same owering bush. She periodically rose, helicopter-like, just inches above the branch to deliver a warning — chirping and chittering — that intruders were not welcome.
Safe and dry behind the trellised wall of our carport, I watched the aerial combat take place just few feet away as the remnants of Hurricane Francine crashed and thrashed its way throughout the Mid-South. A few days later, Francine, now a low-pressure system, continued to subside. My better half Vicki and I spent a good portion of a wet Sunday morning watching the little birds swoop and twirl — more aerial combat and mid-air ballet.
“Cheap entertainment,” she said with a smile.
“Cheap or cheep?” I asked.
She laughed at my dumb pun. Two hummingbirds zipped past our kitchen’s picture window.
“Crazy birds,” Vicki proclaimed.
Crazy birds, indeed, and I miss them a er they’ve moved on.
I’ve always been fascinated by hummingbirds, who seemingly defy gravity and conventional aerodynamics in search of a meal and more fuel for their long journey south to remote tropical rainforests. But I also admire these tiny creatures for their perseverance, their tenacity, and their strength. Years ago, I participated in an expressive writing course for cancer survivors and wrote a ctional short story about an old man coming to terms with his own death. He found strength and peace in the hummingbirds and their return, year a er year, to his backyard garden. e old man recounted a mythical belief regarding his tiny visitors — that the ancient Aztec people revered hummingbirds for both their colorful beauty and their powerful ight. ey believed brave warriors — killed in battle — were reincarnated as hummingbirds.
Maybe our hummers come back every summer to remind me of those wonderful brave warriors no longer here, who can no longer experience a warm, pleasant June morning, or breathe in the fresh air rolling across the green grasses of Shelby Farms Park, or watch a brilliant orange sunset from the banks of the Mississippi River.
Tiny, uttering reminders that, as the seasons change, we continue moving forward even when our journey becomes di cult.
Or, perhaps, our hummingbirds — we refer to them as “our hummingbirds” while they’re here — return each year simply driven by instinct. We make our backyard inviting to them, with several red-colored feeders and lots of owering plants. Our next-door neighbor’s wooded backyard provides the birds with shelter and safety. For those “little daredevils,” our gardens are a convenient rest stop along their migratory path. But maybe there’s more to it than just instinct. Regardless, I’ll miss those crazy birds once they’re gone even as I deeply miss my fellow warriors who’ve fallen in battle with a terrible disease.
For two weeks, constant chirping and chittering greeted me anytime I stepped outside and onto our backyard patio. Hummingbirds zooming overhead, uttering around the feeders, and dive-bombing one another were also constants. I was involved in a few near misses as hummers chased each other through our carport and back up to the trees. As the number of hummingbirds increased, so too did the number of airborne skirmishes. I loved every moment of it.
Our tiny guests were hungry and relentless in their search for a meal. With the days growing shorter, both the humans and the little birds knew summer was coming to an end. Soon those crazy birds would be gone, leaving behind joyful memories, until next year, when a “scout” arrives, usually in April, to check out the food supply situation in our backyard.
A week or so later, summer had o cially ended and most of the hummingbirds were gone. We gured they le in a hurry as more rain and wind, this time from Hurricane Helene, made its way towards the Mid-South. e feeders sat empty, while the owering bushes were commandeered by the remaining butter ies, along with a few honeybees. I already missed those crazy birds.
For me, hummingbirds symbolize hope and strength. eir survival is intertwined with my own, as being a “survivor” can be di cult at times. Like the old man in my short story, I’m at peace when the little birds return to our backyard each summer. ey’re tiny reminders that, even with tenacity and perseverance, the journey is never easy and we must continue to keep the spirit of those fallen warriors in our hearts.
Ken Billett is a freelance writer and short-story author. An 11-year cancer survivor, Ken is a nationally recognized advocate for skin cancer prevention and melanoma treatment research. He and his wife Vicki have called Memphis home for nearly 35 years.
