Click magazine | August 2017 by Click magazine

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CONTENTS

August 2017

FEATURES 33 COOL RUNNINGS

Come to these chic ice cream joints to cool off, stay for something new

LEND US YOUR EARS

Celebrating the faces of music in the Mid-South

OUT & ABOUT 39 | Feast on the Farm 42 | Desoto County 4th of

July Celebrations

44 | Southaven Chamber

Quarterly Luncheon

48 | New Albany Freedom Festival 50 | Memphis Italian Festival 2017 54 | 17th Annual Promise Ball 56 | Vine to Wine:

Red, White, & Blues Photo by Michael Hensley

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 9

CONTENTS August 2017

•

Volume 11

No. 8

DEPARTMENTS 17 | INTERVIEW Bocephus is Back Hank Williams, Jr. returns to Monday Night Football after a three-year absence

20 | CAUSES A Good Note Young musicians with the IRIS Fellows Program collaborate with inner-city youth to provide support for underrepresented sectors of a city built on music 24 | PLACES Juke Joint Dreams Robert “Bilbo” Walker’s Wonderlight City comes alive as the newest juke joint in the Delta

28 | ARTS Of Paintbrushes and Needles The ever-evolving art of Tony Max brings new meaning to "multifaceted"

78 | THE POUR Rosé Spritzers The perfect sip for any and all summer soirées

78 10 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

FIND US ONLINE Click magazine is all about your life. Read stories, purchase event photos, download a digital copy of any issue online at myclickmag.com.

See whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new or drop us a comment and get the latest scoop.

Follow us on social media for exclusive fashion content, contests and the latest on people, places and parties across the Mid-South.

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myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 11

CASEY HILDER

editor’s letter

That Sweet Sound The old adage “music makes the world go ‘round” goes double in the musical Mecca of the Mid-South. I'd say it's right up there with smell as a sense that's very strongly tied to early memories. I can still remember my mother crooning Waylon and Willie's rendition of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" to me as a tyke, and through her concerted effort I was able to become a magazine editor in lieu of a cattle rustler. Southern music has a way of putting you on a path like that. From the heartfelt blues songs laced together by someone like BB King to somber, yet easy-going, tunes of Lucero, there’s some sort of sound for everyone down here. This month, we’re celebrating the unsung heroes of the local music scene, not just the dude with the guitar (though we have one of those this month in the very talented Nick Black). In this month’s central feature, “Lend Us Your Ears”, we’ve highlighted the producers, sound engineers, bookers, promoters and personalities behind your favorite local acts. Check out page 60 to learn more about the remarkable talents of Boo Mitchell, Ric Chetter, Catrina Guttery and more. Another big name in music comes to us this month in the form of ole Bocephus himself, Hank Williams, Jr., Fresh off the heels of his reintroduction to the world of Monday night Football, Hank was able to take time out of his busy schedule for a short interview this month. Read his thoughts on page 18. In addition, we’ve got a feature on frozen treats that’s sure to counteract the impending August heat wave. Special thanks to Hernando’s own Area 51 Ice Cream and the East Memphis establishment MEMPops for sharing some of the secrets behind their coolest creations. Read all about it in “Cool Runnings” on page 33. Looking for more ways to cool off ? Monthly contributor Serena Wolf has you covered with this month’s featured drink recipe with her patented Rose Spritzers. Be sure to check out her contribution on page 78 and mix up a few of these for your next pool party or get-together. So from all of us to all of you: keep on singing. It’s about the only thing distracting us from the humidity. Read on,

Casey Hilder

Write To Us:

Email editor@myclickmag.com or send us a letter at Click Magazine P.O. Box 100, Hernando, MS 38632. 12 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

CLICK

PEOPLE, PARTIES, and PLACES

Co-Presidents Jonathan Pittman & Angie Pittman Publisher Dick Mathauer Editor Casey Hilder editor@myclickmag.com

COPY + FEATURES Contributing Writers Tess Catlett, Casey Hilder, Erica Horton, Sarah Vaughan, Serena Wolf

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Jennifer Leonard Corbin Ad Design Nick Howard Intern Morgan Robinson Contributing Photographers Frank Chin, Michael Hensley, Casey Hilder, Mike Lee

ADVERTISING Sales Director Lyla McAlexander 901.461.4861 lyla@dttclick.com Sheri Floyd 901.208.1828 sheri@dttclick.com Diana Vaughn-Linville 901.361.7661 diana@dttclick.com

HOW TO REACH US

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

Call 662.429.6397 or subscribe online at myclickmag.com. Annual subscription rate: $32.95. Click Magazine is published 12 times a year. Postmaster: Send address changes to Click Magazine, 2445 Hwy. 51 South, Hernando, MS 38632. We make every effort to correct factual mistakes and omissions in a timely and candid manner. Information can be forwarded to Casey Hilder; Click Magazine, 2445 Hwy. 51 South, Hernando, MS 38632 or by email to editor@myclickmag.com.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT

Interested in having your next party featured in Click Magazine? Submit your event by going to myclickmag.com or email us at events@myclickmag.com ©2016 P.H. Publishing. Click Magazine must give permission for any material contained herein to be reproduced in any manner. Any advertisements published in Click Magazine do not con stitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s services or products. Click Magazine is published monthly by P.H. Publishing, LLC.

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 13

contributors

August 2017

Mary Eckersley Mary Eckersley is a Memphis-based writer and photographer and recent journalism graduate from The University of Memphis. She has been a member of the Memphis music community since 2010, and has interned with companies such as The Recording Academy and Ardent Studios.

Michael Hensley

Tess Catlett

This month's cover feature, "Lend Us Your Ears," was shot by photographer Michael Hensley of Hensley Imagery. A longtime Click contributor and world traveler, Hensley offers full service website development, photography, videography, and marketing. Follow him on on Facebook at /hensleyimagery and see his photos on Instagram through @mind_of_mike.

A Southaven native and recent graduate of University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, Catlett is a former intern for Click. An avid and tenacious writer, Catlett has been featured in various publications including Vox Magazine, The Columbia Missourian and The DeSoto TimesTribune. When not writing, Catlett enjoys binge watching underrated TV dramas.Â

Mike Lee Event photos in this issue were captured by Click photographer Mike Lee. Mike started in news in 1971 as a TV writer, photographer, and art director. For 20 years, his work appeared on national and international television broadcasts, and was published in print media worldwide.

Erica Horton A Southern-born freelance writer, Erica finished her BA in journalism at the University of Memphis. She enjoys hearing and telling a good story. When sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not writing or reading, she watches journalism movies and plays with her niece and nephew.

14 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

Tonya Thompson With focus on the arts and history that have shaped the South's unique character, Thompson, a Middle Tennessee native, now lives and writes in Mississippi while running Delta Creatives (deltacreatives.com), a content editing, marketing and ghostwriting service. When not writing or editing for clients, she enjoys painting, traveling with her husband and children, and finding scenic mountain roads for motorcycling.

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16 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

ARTS, CULTURE & PERSONALITIES

UP FRONT Bocephus is Back Hank Williams, Jr. returns to Monday Night Football after a three-year absence Interview by CASEY HILDER

CAUSES p.20 | PLACES p.24 | ARTS p.28 | FOOD p.33 myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 17

up front

people

OFTEN CONTROVERSIAL AND ALWAYS memorable, country music superstar Hank Williams, Jr. will make his return to Monday Night Football this September to reprise the iconic, foot-stomping classic theme “All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night.” This time, however, he’s not alone. This year, “Bocephus” is joined by pop-country duo Florida Georgia Line and hip-hop performer Jason Derulo for a new spin on Hank’s old tune, which debuted nearly 30 years ago. From his favorite up-and-coming artists to the changing times that led to a new football anthem, Williams shares his hopes for the season and more in this month’s featured interview. Click Magazine: What can we expect from “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Monday Night,” the new anthem of Monday Night Football? Hank Williams, Jr.: Well, it will be a little different than what I have done in the past. I have Florida Georgia Line and Jason Derulo joining me for a special rendition of what we all know as “Are You Ready For Some Football.” You will have to watch and see what it is. CM: What was it like working alongside Jason Derulo and Florida Georgia Line? Did any of your ways rub off on them, or vice-versa? HW: You know we only spent about 6 hours together filming the opening, so there wasn’t much time for that to happen. CM: Your most recent album, It’s About Time, featured collaborations with Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert. Are there any other up-and-coming country musicians who have found their way onto your playlist? HW: Playlist? I don’t have a playlist. I do like Chris Janson, Justin Moore, Chris Stapleton and a few others, but I am not really into listening to the radio to hear who is hot and what is new. I have seen these guys as we have done shows together. CM: You appeared as the “7th man” at a big game for the Nashville Predators hockey team. Thoughts on their big season? HW: It was a special time for both Nashville and for the Predators. You might know, my agent Greg Oswald is a big fan and asked me if I wanted to do it, so I said yes, ‘cause I knew he would have a lot of fun with it. And we all did. It was a great game and Nashville won that night. CM: What’s next for Bocephus outside of football? HW: I have some shows this year and lots of hunting and fishing in my future! 18 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 19

up front

causes

A Good Note Young musicians with the IRIS Fellows Program collaborate with inner-city youth to provide support for underrepresented sectors of a city built on music Story by SARAH VAUGHAN | Photos by MICHAEL ALLEN

EMBARKING ON ITS 18TH SEASON THIS OCTOBER,

IRIS Orchestra has become a centerpiece of the cultural life of the Mid-South. Their roster features talented musicians from leading orchestras, universities, and chamber groups around the world who have served as the resident orchestra of the Germantown Performing Arts Center. IRIS began in September of 2000 as a bold experiment by conductor Michael Stern to bring world-renowned classical music to the Memphis community. His endeavor led to a breakthrough in music for the city in the form of a Memphis-based symphony composed of world-class musicians. “Many classical musicians pursue a variety of professional experiences,” says IRIS Marketing Manager Nancy Raileanu. “They join the IRIS community to play with Michael Stern and the other amazing musicians who share a passionate commitment to the highest standards of performance.” IRIS has earned an international reputation as a champion of new American music and consistently receives critical praise for 20 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

its interpretations of classical pieces. IRIS has also made made numerous contributions to the community at large. IRIS musicians put down strong roots in Germantown and Memphis. During their time in Memphis, they stay with local families. The host family program creates bonds between IRIS musicians and their local families that extend beyond the concert weeks each year. Through the recent introduction of the IRIS Artist Fellowship Program, IRIS has initiated a special one-year program for emerging professional musicians. The fellowship, which began in August 2016, allows IRIS to become a platform for musicians of color to transition from the academic world to the professional world. Their experience includes teaching in Shelby County schools, performing with IRIS orchestra, and performing together as a chamber ensemble. “Community outreach is a tremendous part of what we do,” says Rebecca Arendt, Director of Community Initiatives. “From its beginning, the Orchestra has made a commitment to deepen and enrich musical education in the Mid-South.”

This year’s fellows arrived in Memphis in mid-July. During their stay, the artists will be given accommodations at the newly completed Crosstown Concourse. The large support network that sustains IRIS has already donated beds, nightstands, artwork, and kitchen and bathroom supplies for these young musicians who are on a mission to help the youth of Memphis. “The fellowship as a whole came about because of two needs that we identified in which we felt we could take an active part in working toward the solution,” says Arendt. One is the inequity of historically underrepresented populations of AfricanAmerican and Latino musicians in the classical world. The other opportunity is to model positive life paths. By sharing their diverse backgrounds and perspectives, the IRIS Fellows share a powerful positive message.” This year’s fellows are cellist Dara Hankins, violist Gabriel Polycarpo, and violinist Marcos Santos. In conjunction with Memphis Music Initiative’s in-school fellows program, they will mentor students at Douglass Elementary School, Snowden School, Kingsbury Elementary School, and Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary School. IRIS musicians also work with other Shelby County schools by mentoring students at Overton, Kingsbury, Cordova, Central, and Houston high schools, as well as the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. IRIS’ outreach extends to working with community organizations like Art for Life’s Sake and other organizations that don’t necessarily have a musical component to allow children to explore different ways of expressing themselves. These partnerships include the Carpenter Art Garden, Knowledge Quest, and St. Jude and Le Bonheur children’s hospitals. “In some ways, what these artists are doing transcends words,” says Arendt. “We think what we’re doing is important, but beyond that, we just feel so lucky to have the opportunity to share this with our community. So many people don’t get to share their passion with others. Not only do we get to do that, but we get to watch so many youths in the city share their passion with us.” Contributions or inquiries about the IRIS Artist Fellows program can be made by contacting the IRIS office at (901) 751-7669 or at the website at support.irisorchestra.org.

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up front

places

Juke Joint Dreams Robert “Bilbo” Walker’s Wonderlight City comes alive as the newest juke joint in the Delta Story by CASEY HILDER | Photos courtesy of ROGER STOLLE

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU DON’T SEE OPEN UP IN 2017,

even in the Delta. You don’t see phone booths, you don’t see video rental places and you definitely don’t see juke joints like the recently opened Wonderlight City in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The brainchild of bluesman Robert “Bilbo” Walker, Wonderlight City represents the lifelong dream of a man with a lifetime’s worth of experience in the Southern music industry. “I was born with it,” Walker says of the idea behind Wonderlight City. "When a man gets to be 80 years old, he doesn’t have too much time left to explore all his old ideas. I’m getting weaker every day. But I’ve had this idea in my head for years and years and by now, can’t much stop me. I just hope I have enough time left now, at this point, where I can see it become what I want it to be. ” A handwritten sign posted at the corner of Kline and Johnson Road leads visitors through gravel drives into a wooded area that now plays host to Walker’s nine-and-a-half acres of nostalgia situated on an old family property. “It’s only three turns from the Hampton Inn, the newest big hotel down here,” says Roger Stolle, local blues historian and Bilbo’s unofficial manager. “The amount of time that this old man has put into his juke joint dream out here in the countryside is outstanding. Had he not put up that sign, you wouldn’t really have any indication that you had arrived.” 24 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

Stolle has become one of Bilbo’s biggest supporters over the past five years, assisting the 81-year-old bluesman with booking arrangements and bringing projects like Wonderlight City to the community forefront. “I say ‘unofficial’ because last time I checked, managers get paid,” Stolle jests. Bilbo’s Wonderlight City is by all means a hand-built structure, archaic in all the best ways and representative of an authentic experience that recalls the great blues stories of yesteryear, the kind that begins in a cotton field and ends onstage in. “It’s my own land, all mine,” says Walker. “It’s old slave land, handed down from my people. Nobody can tell us what to do out here.” It’s no coincidence that this structure popped up not too far from the crossroads where fellow bluesman Robert Johnson supposedly struck a Faustian bargain in exchange for his great picking skills. “It was the goal to make this the greatest place in the world,” says Walker. “A good place where people can go out looking for good times, not trouble.” An old army barracks Quonset hut would become Wonderlight City, and after several years of plotting, planning and a few false starts, the structure is finally ready to glow. He’s had the drab olive exterior painted a brilliant blue, added some paneling and, of course, lights. Strings of Christmas lights provide most of the illumination for the club, and everything — that is, the music, the lights, the cooler for the beer — is powered off a single gas generator. “You just can’t enjoy playing at your own club as much as you enjoy playing at someone else’s,” says Walker. “But Buddy Guy owes me a favor since I’ve played so many times at his place, so he owes me one to come down here.” myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 25

Upon its June opening, many locals questioned the sign proclaiming that “The Legendary Wonderlight City” had opened its doors. You might wonder how something opened so recently could be considered legendary. Maybe it’s all in the reclaimed, refurbished nature of the place or the distinct selection of Clarksdale legends that frequent the joint. For Bilbo, “legendary” has always been a state of mind. “You could easily imagine that this thing has been running 35 to 50 years,” says Stolle. “There’s not a lot here to suggest this is a modern establishment.” The energy, optimism and old-school grit provided by Bilbo drove the project. With a skill honed through single-string guitars backed by voices trained in the fields and churches, Bilbo represents a dwindling generation brimming with musical prowess in an area that’s seen many pass through. “There’s nowhere in the world like Clarksdale, Mississippi, I tell you,” says Walker. “I’ve been all over the world playing. Jerusalem and some more places. But if I had to, I would walk back to Clarksdale.” Warmly personal but with a wild streak, Bilbo has spent most of his career playing in blues clubs but wasn’t captured on a solo album until 1997. He was featured prominently in the 2015 documentary, I Am the Blues, alongside musicians and performers like Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Bobby Rush, R.L. Boyce and Paul “Lil Buck” Sinegal. “It’s like hanging out with a fossil, or more like a bee trapped in amber that suddenly springs to life when the right notes are struck,” Stolle says. Wonderlight City will be open for the upcoming Sunflower River Blues Festival week, which takes place August 8 through 13.

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“There’s nowhere in

the world like Clarksdale, Mississippi, I tell you,... I’ve been all over the world playing. Jerusalem and some more places. But if I had to, I would walk back to Clarksdale.”

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 27

up front

art

Of Paintbrushes and Needles The ever-evolving art of Tony Max gives a new meaning to "multifaceted" Story by TONYA THOMPSON

28 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

IN A SUN-WASHED APARTMENT

overlooking midtown, Memphis, Anthony (Tony) Max’s studio is decidedly minimalist. Surrounded by books on most sides, a brown reading chair and simple art desk claim the most well-lit spots. Gone are the paints, easels and pallets you’d expect to find in a painter’s work area, and in their place are an old HP Touchsmart300 PC, a Wacom Cintiq 24hd, and an Asus Sonicmaster laptop — all used with a program called ArtRage to create a new form of art, blending photography and digital paint strokes. There are surprisingly few indicators in the monochromatic, industrial décor of the wildly vivid scenes Max is best known for. Moving deftly between bizarre and whimsical, his early portfolio reflects a colorful, sometimes nightmarish dreamscape, full of haunting images and shocking contrast. Masks are a common theme, gas masks or masks or those worn in ancient Greek theater, and shadows dominate most scenes. It’s Generation X-meets-Southern Gothic, freaks and crumbling architecture and all, and distinctly mythical, much like the superheroes of the comics he grew up reading. Max’s earliest visual memories, however, were far more pastoral than his paintings would suggest. On a farm in Longview, Mississippi, where his family continued its nearly 200-year-old Mississippi heritage, Max remembers an absence of toy stores — or any stores, for that matter — and spending most of his free time drawing. “I drew everything I saw,” he says, “Cows, horses, ducks, fish, bees, and trees. I quickly realized the more realistic I could make the drawings, the more attention the adults gave it.” Recognizing his talent and with no options for art instruction in the area, Max’s parents enrolled him in weekend courses at Memphis State University and Arts East when he was 9. “That’s where I first learned painting, elements of design, and drawing from life,” he recalls. “The biggest influence on my skills was a class based on Betty Edward’s book, Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain. It teaches children how to visually break down images into shapes that they can faithfully recreate on paper. It was full of psychological tricks to help shut out background information and narrow your focus. I still see it as one of the most important books ever written on the subject.” myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 29

“Eventually I noticed that there was no real difference between tattoo needles and paintbrushes. Either were capable of producing fine art.”

A Horn Lake High School graduate, Max admits the influence of fellow artists he met when visiting and attending classes in the city. “All of the art classes available were in Memphis,” he says, “and I enjoyed making friends with the other city artists. They had been exposed to so much more visual pop culture than me, so I had so much more to learn from them. And they all had tattoos, something which I had always had a fondness for. At age 16, I started making trips to the city to get tattooed. It was intriguing to think my art could jump from the paper page to my skin.” That intrigue would soon become a profession. At 22, Max began an apprenticeship with Dave Evans at Underground Art, a Memphis 30 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

tattoo shop well known for its cutting-edge artists. “He was already redefining what modern tattoos could do, so he taught me an entirely new bag of tricks,” says Max. “Tattoos didn’t have to look like stickers or patches or cartoons. As I picked up skill, I started infusing my tattoo art with the realism and design rules I had learned through painting. And tattoos sold much better than paintings.” Although there was more money to be made in tattooing, there was a caveat. Painting allows for mistakes because the artist can rework and cover with another layer of paint. Tattoos required painstaking planning because the ink can’t be covered once applied, so all marks are permanent.

“I was working on a live canvas,” says Max, “so the consequences of screwing up were more serious. It was also teaching me how to take a client’s ideas and create a work of art that was crucially personal to them. The more closely I could bring to life their personal vision, the happier they were and the more my business grew. Years passed as I learned more tricks, and eventually I noticed that there was no real difference between tattoo needles and paintbrushes. Either were capable of producing fine art.” That fine art included canvasses that would see a much wider audience than any painting ever would. “My paintings hung on walls in closed houses, only seen by visitors,” Max says. “But my skin art followed its collectors everywhere they went. Suddenly my art was traveling the globe and being openly advertised. Each one was a walking billboard that brought in more clients.” Max’s changing preference for media has again taken a new direction, returning to his first love of comic art and dynamic images that tell a story. With multiple issues of his work, The Golden Silence, already sold and available on Amazon Kindle, Max offers them as free downloads in a digital format on Tapas. The hard copies can still be purchased through the artist, from local comic shops, or through Createspace. The Crimson Hand should be available early in 2018. Until then, he can be found tattooing at No Regrets Tattoo Emporium in Memphis or selling his comics at conventions, such as the Memphis Comic Expo, September 16 and 17.

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MEMPops

1243 Ridgeway Rd Memphis, Tenn

L O CO s g i n n n ru

Come to these chic ice cream joints to cool off, stay for something new Story by Erica Horton | Photos by Casey Hilder

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 33

Area 51 Ice Cream

MEMPops

There are more than 100 different flavor combinations and a recipe book pending, with some popsicles offered seasonally and some daily at MemPops. Chris Taylor, owner of MemPops, said what makes MemPops different is the way he prepares his frozen treats. He prides himself on having relationships with local farmers, using local ingredients and natural sweeteners. “We don’t use anything frozen, everything is fresh. The only thing out of a can is coconut milk. We make our own sweeteners,” he said. “We roast all of our fruit. We cook everything here to extract the flavors. We could probably do it a lot quicker and cheaper, but that’s not what I wanted to do. I wanted to do a unique thing and put a lot of love into it.” MemPops come as either a cream pop or a fruit pop. Fruit pops range in flavor from Strawberry, Watermelon Basil, and Raspberry Lemonade to Blackberry Lemon Rose, Avocado Lime, and Nectarine Agave. The cream pops have some readily recognizable flavors like Fudge, Vanilla Bean, and Peaches and Cream, and venture into Blackberry Honey Yogurt, Blueberry Lemon Maple and Reverb Coffee Dulce De Leche. “There are lot of variations you can do with a Popsicle, and no one is ever upset about a Popsicle,” Taylor said. “It’s fun, unique and you can be creative. It’s cool to bring in fresh fruit a few times a week and to know people that are growing your fruit.” During the summer, Taylor said he sells about 500-600 popsicles in a day at his store and a little over 2,000 per event with his mobile shop. Though the summer months are the most popular, MemPops is open all year long. Taylor does not have a culinary degree and has never been formally trained in the kitchen. Instead he is self-taught, having worked his way up from a waiter to a sous chef in various local restaurants and now owns MemPops. A second MemPops store will be opening in August in the Crosstown Concourse. 34 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

Area 51 Ice Cream went from an idea to reality in 10 weeks. Co-Owners Karin and Steve Cubbage are the husband and wife duo running the three-year-old shop, which offers 12 flavors daily including a sorbet. From cookies and cream to lemon ice-box, customers try some of what Karin Cubbage calls, “approachable,” flavors and some, “out-ofthe-box flavors.” One of their most popular is Cedar Hill Blackberry Goat Cheese. Cedar Hill is where the family gets their blackberries from and the flavor is a goat cheese ice cream with blackberry swirled in. “The first summer that we did it, it was interesting to get people to try it and lot of people made a little face, but then it just took off,” Cubbage says. “Now there is not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t come in, even in the dead of winter, and ask, ‘do you guys have any blackberry goat cheese?’” Customers come from all over the country to taste Cedar Hill Blackberry Goat Cheese, which has made national lists. However, the signature flavor is only available when blackberries are in season, which is June. Cubbage says they sold 200 gallons of the flavor this year. An 18-year food industry veteran, Karin says the decision to open an ice-cream store in May 2014 was easy. Now she, her husband, and three of their five children make small-batch artisan ice creams using all fresh fruits and local ingredients. Located at 117 W Commerce St in Hernando, Miss., Area 51 is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cubbage says she has loved ice cream since she was a child and has memories of her father making it in the park. “I wanted something where I would have a lot of control over the finished product, where the customer can taste it and make sure they love it first. I like that idea of people knowing what they’re getting before they have to choose,” she says. “I like that ice cream is a blank canvas because you can do anything you want with it. You start off with simple cream and milk and you go from there.” She has almost 200 flavors now, including a book of flavor ideas that she has yet to create. There are flavors like Saigon Cinnamon Snicker Doodle (it’s a cookie cloud in your mouth) and Bourbon Butter Pecan. The chocolate chips in the Mint Chocolate Chip is made with two different kinds of Dutch chocolate. Area 51 does gives light nods to space ships and some loyal customers hide aliens all over the shop for the owners to find. There is a signature shake called the Roswell. Named after the alleged crash of a UFO on a ranch in Roswell, New Mexico in the 1940s, the Roswell is a scoop of lemon ice-box ice cream made by steeping lemon zest in cream and milk overnight. The mixture is strained the next day and the Cubbages squeeze the lemons and make a syrup out of the fresh lemon juice so that it’s, “real light and airy.” It’s then mixed with Orange Crush and grenadine. A second location for Area 51 is under construction at Crosstown Concourse in Memphis, Tenn. and will be open in August.

Area 51 Ice Cream 117 W Commerce St Hernando, MS

“

I like that ice cream is a blank canvas because you can do anything you want with it. You start off with simple cream and milk and you go from there.

”

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 35

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OUT&ABOUT

John Butler & Sandy McNeill

Feast on the Farm Nearly 350 people attended Agricenter International’s annual farm-to-table tasting event on June 10. Between bites crafted by some of the area’s top chefs and a high-energy live auction, guests raised over $80,000 for the Center’s educational programming. Photos by MIKE LEE myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 39

out & about

Tri Watkins & Norwood Creech Traci & George Felts, Shea Bunnell

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myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 41

out & about

Desoto County 4th of July Celebrations

Horn Lake kicked off Independence Day early with a firework display on July 3. Hosted at Latimer Lakes Park, the festival featured bounce houses for the kids, live music, and games until the sun went down. The City of Southaven celebrated at BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove. Attendees were invited to pack a picnic and relax on the lawn while Cornerstone Church provided live music until sundown. And the City of Olive Branch hosted the 18th annual Celebrate Your Independence festival and firework display. Skyelor Anderson performed ahead of the eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main event. Photos by MIKE LEE

Chad Farrow & Amanda Kirkland with Gracie Clark & Brayden Taylor

Jeff & Brandie Collins

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42 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

Josh Munsey, Madison Edlemond, Taylor Allen & Connor Edlemond

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out & about

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out & about

ew Albany N Freedom Festival he city of New Albany, Mississippi, hosted its annual Hill Country T Freedom Festival on June 24. This event, which was hosted just off the banks of the Tallahatchie River in downtown New Albany, featured live music from the likes of Cadillac Funk, Confederate Railroad, The Stonecoats, Honky Tonk Heroes, and more. Photos by MIKE LEE

Lynn & Rick Harp

Anna & Nathan Page

Chance Weathers & Kortney Parker

Andrew & Jackson Yurkow

Cynthia Martinez & Raul Isleno

Adrianna, Skyleigh & Joseph Robbins

48 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

Tierra Lucas & Boderick Rogers

Jennifer Lewis & Jadyn Smith

Mattie & Adam Aldridge

Anna Wommack & Bubba Bishop

Preston Turner & Cheyenne Willis

Michael & Kelly Roberts

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 49

out & about

Heaven Briana Ruiz

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Mia McIvor & Shellye McAlister

Memphis Italian Festival 2017 The annual Memphis Italian Festival brought a taste of Tuscany to the Mid-South with live music, a wide variety of cooking demos from local Italian restaurants, grape stomping, bocce and much more. Proceeds from this event benefited the Holy Rosary Parish School. Photos by FRANK CHIN Johnny and Cathie Maness

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out & about

Kaitlyn, Michael & Becky Hawkins Brynn Ashmore, Jonathan Forrester & Ali Walker

17th Annual Promise Ball For the past 17 years, the West Tennessee Chapter of JDRF’s Promise Ball has helped fund life-changing type 1 diabetes research. This year’s signature event, themed “Masquerade for a Cure,” featured whimsical visual entertainment by the Weightless Aerial Company, live music by Front & Beale, and both a live and silent auction. Photos by MIKE LEE

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out & about

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Kelcie Hamm & Neely Carter

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Vine to Wine Red, White, & Blues he Memphis Botanic Garden's summer wine tasting series continued with Red, T White & Blues. Guests were invited to sample a selection of patriotic spirits, snap a photo with “The Regal Eagle” of Reelfoot Lake fame, and enjoy live music from Singa Brumfield. Photos by FRANK CHIN Ali Slott & JoEllyn Slott

Keiwana Glover & Kayla Sweeten

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60 JUNE AUGUST 2017 2017 | myclickmag.com | myclickmag.com

Lend Ears Us Your

CELEBRATING THE FACES OF MUSIC IN THE MID-SOUTH

Story by Mary Eckersley & Casey Hilder Photos by Michael Hensley Art Director Jennifer Corbin

myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 61

Matt Ross-Span g

62 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

I hope people see “the passion that I have. I do not do this for the money; I do this because I love to make records and love to help pull something out of people they did not know they had.

”

MATT ROSS-SPANG Producer, Audio Engineer IF YOU HEARD SOMEBODY SAY that someone was “wise beyond their years,” they were probably talking about Matt Ross-Spang. The Memphis-born producer began his career at Sun Studios at the age of 16 where he worked as a tour guide by day and intern by night. It was at this ripe young age that Ross-Spang knew all he wanted to do was make records. Having been awarded both a Grammy for his work with Jason Isbell, and the key to Memphis before the age of 30, it is safe to say he made the right choice. “I hope people see the passion that I have. I do not do this for the money; I do this because I love to make records and love to help pull something out of people they did not know they had. I think all the great producers like Sam Philips, Willie Mitchell and Chip Moman, I felt that way about them,” says Ross-Spang. For him, Memphis and its history has played an integral part in his career. As an independent engineer and producer, he is able to travel and work wherever he can make music, but he insists that there is nothing like coming home and making music in his city. His favorite thing is getting people from out of town to come because every time they do, they are blown away before they even step in the studio. Once they do make it in the studio, Ross-Spang refers to

“MUSIC TO ME IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT — IT’S NOT JUST ONE PERSON. IT IS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN A ROOM TOGETHER, MAKING A RECORD. YOU SHOULD FEEL THAT.”

his sound as “organic.” He likes to bring in local musicians to play and vibe with an artist to have everyone mold to each other and not rely on routine. “Music to me is a community effort — it’s not just one person. It is a bunch of people in a room together, making a record. You should feel that. If the chair squeaks, I leave it in. If you can hear the person breathing a little bit, I leave it in,” says Ross-Spang. myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 63

c a k l B Nick 64 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

NICK BLACK Musician FOLKS IN MEMPHIS AND THE SOUTH

feel and connect. If I can help as many

to be known as the guy who did it

are used to incredibly talented people.

people as I can feel something, I’ve

honestly and made it by doing the

To stand out from the pack, Nick Black

accomplished my goals,” says Black.

right things,” says Black.

works to be the most original incarna-

Some of the people in particular

tion of himself he can be. “If I can not

that Black takes pride in helping

out sing somebody, I can certainly be

to feel something are the stu-

the most me because nobody else can

dents her works with at Melrose

do that,” says Black.

High and Stax Academy. In the

His music is self-described as an

programs, not only does he help

evolution in his life of what Memphis

kids to believe in themselves, but

has to offer, influenced by soul and

to also work just as hard as they

R&B. Black says that living in a big city

believe in themselves. He explains

with a small-town vibe allows him to

that for kids, there is a disconnect

work from the inside out of his music.

between what goes on in the

Rather than approaching music based

industry and what they see. He

on external factors like demographics

wants to make that connection

and chasing money, Black can chase

and show that artists like Beyoncé

the feeling at the center. For his latest

are still human and that what she

album, Summer + Spring, he has

has is from hard work.

chosen to give people a light, warm

“The industry lets some bad

feeling as an escape from the stress of

apples through that do not want

what is currently going on in the world.

to connect and are just in it for

“We don't make music for the awards,

the money. I want to show people

we make music because we love to and

that if you work hard and with

because of the way it makes people

passion you can get there. I want

“THE INDUSTRY LETS SOME BAD APPLES THROUGH THAT DO NOT WANT TO CONNECT AND ARE JUST IN IT FOR THE MONEY. I WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT IF YOU WORK HARD AND WITH PASSION, YOU CAN GET THERE. I WANT TO BE KNOWN AS THE GUY WHO DID IT HONESTLY AND MADE IT BY DOING THE RIGHT THINGS,” myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 65

ll Mitche

Boo

66 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

I have just been “really blessed to work with some great people. Sometimes it is just a magic that happens when you have got the right people working together,

”

LAWRENCE "BOO" MITCHELL Producer, Audio Engineer, Studio and Label Owner AS THE SON OF THE LATE, great Willie Mitchell, Royal Studios’ Boo Mitchell has music in his blood. Having admired his dad’s work from a young age, Mitchell has grown up to be just like his dad with his own accolades to show for it. Since winning a Grammy in 2016 for his work on “Uptown Funk,” Mitchell has engineered and produced multiple Billboard Number Ones for the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Robert Cray and the North Mississippi Allstars. “I have just been really blessed to work with some great people. Sometimes it is just a magic that happens when you have got the right people working together,” says Mitchell. Not only does Mitchell count his triumphs as beneficial for himself, but says he wants to be known as one of the people responsible for restoring Memphis to its musical glory. Whether artists come to the Mid-South to make music at Royal or one of the other studios in the area, if folks are coming to town to make music, that is a success in Mitchell’s book. Besides giving back to Memphis by bringing business to the city, Mitchell participates in career days with schools around the region and is partnering with the Memphis Music Initiative to give back to the community. Mitchell

“AS MEMPHIANS, WE HAVE GIVEN THE WORLD MODERN MUSIC AND

says that for him, the most important thing of giving back

THAT’S ONE OF AMERICA’S GREATEST

is giving back to the children because they are the future.

CONTRIBUTIONS - MODERN MUSIC

As far as the future of the music industry itself is concerned, Mitchell hopes that musicians, artists, and produc-

AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.”

ers can figure out how people can make money in music again. “We all do it because we love it, but musicians should get paid. Music is an important service we provide, especially in America. As Memphians, we have given the world modern music and that’s one of America’s greatest contributions - modern music and freedom of expression. If anybody should be getting it right, it should be us,” says Mitchell. myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 67

as n Yon

68 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

everyone is crazy enough “toNotwant to do what I do. There are certainly much easier ways to make money than to try it in the music world.

”

BEN YONAS Producer, Manager, Educator “FOR ME, IT IS NOT JUST MUSIC IS MORE than meets the ear.

Is there a message that I can get up

Behind every great song is hours of

everyday and fight for to be heard?

work and teams of people making it

There is a lot of work; I have got to be

happen, from production to promotion.

excited to send 30 emails to get peo-

The University of Memphis’ Ben Yonas

ple hyped up for a show. It can not just

not only teaches this to his students, but

be a great song, it can not just be a

lives it everyday with his production and

band that is cool - they have to stand

management company, Yonas Media.

for something and it can not be con-

His company’s model is full-service

trived,” says Yonas.

ABOUT MUSIC. DO [THE ARTISTS] HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY? IS THERE A MESSAGE THAT I CAN GET UP EVERYDAY AND FIGHT FOR TO BE HEARD?”

and takes artists from studio to devel-

As a transplant to the Mid-South,

opment, management and promotion.

Yonas’ 20-plus years of work in the

scene together, his primary goal is

By keeping services in-house, Yonas is

industry and artist development has

to help them achieve their own am-

able to see projects through, making

helped him in his recent job here as a

bitions, wherever those may take the

sure work is done right for his artists to

music business professor. What started

students.

help the music they create together

as a temporary, one-year position has

“Not everyone is crazy enough to want

to succeed. It may be a lot of work, but

turned into a rewarding and serendip-

to do what I do. There are certainly

with the right artist, according to Yonas,

itous experience for the past three-

much easier ways to make money than

it is worth it.

and-a-half years. While Yonas hopes

to try it in the music world. I am just a

“For me, it is not just about music.

to see his students stick around Mem-

guy in the background who develops

Do [the artists] have anything to say?

phis and help build the city’s music

careers,” says Yonas. myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 69

tery Catrina Gut 70 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

It’s really great to “see a resurgence of Memphis music over the past few years.

”

CATRINA GUTTERY Radio Personality, ROCK 103 THE FIRST TASTE of local airwaves

Memphis Made, a two-hour show-

understand what a lot of local musicians

for many Mid-South musicians comes

case of local acts, has been a Sunday

go through,” she says. “It definitely gives

courtesy of Catrina Guttery, host of

evening mainstay on the station for

you a new appreciation.”

the weekly “Memphis Made” program

five years now and was an early hit for

Originally from Guadalajara, Guttery

on ROCK 103.

producers, with its original 8 to 9 p.m.

is active in the local Hispanic community

“ROCK 103 is a legendary station

slot being expanded an hour after

through volunteering at and promoting

around here and we’ve always had a

the first year to accommodate more

events like the Memphis Tamale Festival

deep connection to the local music

musicians and genres.

and the annual Day of the Dead Fes-

scene going all the way back to Jimi

“Although we are a rock station, it’s

tival. Guttery will be present at the

Jamison and Jimmy Davis,” she says.

important to me that we feature all

upcoming Rockhaven 2017, the 40th

“When you talk to people about Mem-

kinds of bands in the spotlight,” she

anniversary celebration for ROCK 103

phis music, you’ll find that a lot of peo-

says. “I play a lot of blues – every-

featuring legendary hair rocker Bret

ple see us as one of the most musically

thing from Albert King to Miss Barbara

Michaels and local acts Tora Tora,

influential places in the world.”

Blue, who’s still doing her thing down

Every Mother's Nightmare, Roxy Blue

on Beale Street today.

and Under the Radar.

It’s very important for us

“It’s really great to see a resurgence

to keep that community

of Memphis music over the past few

MEMPHIS MUSIC, YOU’LL FIND THAT

connection since there’s

years,” she says. “I think social media

A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE US AS ONE OF

always so much going on.”

has definitely played a large role in that,

A budding musician

“WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT

THE MOST MUSICALLY INFLUENTIAL PLACES IN THE WORLD.”

as well.”

herself, Guttery recently

For musicians looking to be featured

picked up the bass guitar.

on an upcoming episode of Memphis

“As a beginner musi-

Made, visit rock103.com/featured/

cian, I’m beginning to

memphis-made. myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 71

Ric C

hetter

We keep some “stuff from the ‘80s and ‘90s in there for sure, but I like to keep a lot of the new, cutting-edge stuff in as well

”

RIC CHETTER

put radio where it’s supposed to be.’”

changed, but we try to recapture a

Founder and Production

That place was the Internet. While

little bit of that.”

Chetter’s plan for an Internet-based

Now in its 6th year of operation,

radio station wasn’t the first of its

the Jolly Roger symbol has become

kind, it would be the first for the area.

somewhat emblematic for Chetter’s

Radio Memphis broadcast its first live

new-age pirate radio station.

Director, Radio Memphis WHEN RIC CHETTER walked out the

signal just a with a heavy emphasis on

“Part of the spirit behind this came

door of his last on-air gig in 2011,

Mid-South musicians from Nashville

from things like Radio Caroline in the

he thought his career in radio was

to Little Rock in mid 2011.

‘50s and ’60s out there broadcasting

over. Chetter spent the past 14 years

“We keep some stuff from the ‘80s

from the North Sea,” he says. “These

working in corporate radio, several

and ‘90s in there for sure, but I like to

guys were literally pirates. They had

of which were alongside renowned

keep a lot of the new, cutting-edge

a ship and a transmitter, and they

local personality John “Bad Dog”

stuff in as well,” Chetter says of the

were pumping this modern music

McCormack. Within a week of Bad

828 songs currently in rotation, many

out to England and Northern Europe

Dog’s untimely passing to Leukemia

of which simply can’t be heard on

because the BBC wouldn’t play it.

in early 2011 and amid a station-wide

terrestrial radio.

Of course, it’s a little different for us.

shakeup, Chetter suddenly found himself out of a job.

And it’s not just Mid-South artists that find a home on Radio Memphis.

No one is out there regulating the Internet yet, thank God.”

“I sat around a long time thinking

Chetter regularly gets submissions

Radio Memphis can be heard

‘What am I gonna do now?’” he says.

from bands as far away as California.

24 hours a day through radio-

“Was I done with radio? It was a little

“There was a time in music history

memphis.com or its companion app.

late for a career change unless I felt

when you could walk into almost

A submission form for local artists

like opening a bait shop. I thought on

any radio station with a demo and

can be found on the Radio Memphis

it for a while and then I decided ‘Let’s

get on the air,” he says. “Times have

website. myclickmag.com | AUGUST 2017 73

Above The patina of well-worn Spanish leather adorns this MidCentury, Moderne Barcelona chair in the spa

n y" "Skin

Brian

McCabe

74 AUGUST 2017 | myclickmag.com

into a little bit “ofI’meverything, musicwise, But there’s a formula that works at certain places that I’ve come to know over the years.

”

BRIAN “SKINNY” MCCABE Concert Booker and Owner, Hi Tone Café BRIAN “SKINNY” MCCABE is a one-

front door of Newby’s, a jam-band-

man show when it comes to running a

happy college bar just off the University

venue. From bouncing to bartending

of Memphis campus, eventually led

to promoting, the work always seems

down a path that facilitated McCabe’s

to come back to Skinny.

ultimate goal – bringing in new faces

“I started working the door at Newby’s

from both near and far to participate

in 2005,” he says. “Before that, I was

in the Mid-South music scene.

all year long with good acts.”

doing odd jobs, worked at FedEx,

“I’m into a little bit of everything,

Initial apprehensions about McCabe

really just doing whatever.”

music-wise,” he says. “But there’s a

as the new owner of one of the city’s

More than 10 years later, McCabe

formula that works at certain places

hottest music venues was quelled

has become a local music mainstay

that I’ve come to know over the years.”

early on with a steady stream of fresh,

through his booking efforts as owner

McCabe took over operations at the

exciting acts alongside the usual Hi

of the Hi Tone Café, one of Memphis’

venerable Hi Tone Café’s new home in

Tone fare.