September 2010
SportsBall Live at the Garden Blues on the Bluff速 Q&A with Erik Jambor
CONTENTS
Contents September 2010
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Keith Johnson invited RSVP to the Fogelman Downtown YMCA, where he first maintained an office as the president and CEO of the YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South.
RSVP Watch List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Seeing is believing when it comes to these five got-to-have frames.
10 SIGNATURE MEMPHIS Keith Johnson
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Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 38, 40 & 46 Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.
STREETSEEN Tom Knowles
SportsBall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 S E P T E M B E R 2 010
Themed “Games for Grown-ups, Futures for Kids,” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis’ annual fund-raiser brought in a whopping 950 attendees, who contributed $150,000 to the organization.
StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26, 30 & 32 humbly says she’s no professional when it comes to collecting art, but that hasn’t stopped her
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The theatre organ only touches the tip of the iceberg for this man’s musical talents. She
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from swooping up valued works and promoting the local arts community. This man unexpectedly went from student to teacher after a pivotal fencing class. StreetSeens spotlight John
Hiltonsmith, Carol Watkins and Tom Knowles.
16 SPORTSBALL Ronald Hoskins and Deborah Watson
Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Q&A with Indie Memphis executive director, Erik Jambor.
42 LIVE AT THE GARDEN Scott and Laura Motley
Live at the Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 The legendary Al Green rocked the Memphis Botanic Garden during the nonprofit’s benefit concert series.
Blues on the Bluff® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 The National Ornamental Metal Museum was abuzz with the sounds of the Delta thanks to WEVL 89.9 FM’s party on the river.
RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
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At Least Peyton’s Still Cool Dennis Phillippi has returned to his beloved topic of American sports and athletes.
STREETSEEN Carol Watkins
48 BLUES ON THE BLUFF® Keely Watson and Lulu McLean
Cover Photo Anna Humerickhouse and Ben Nicol at SportsBall Photo by Don Perry
Volume XV
Number XII
September 2010 PUBLISHER
Roy Haithcock EDITOR
Leah Fitzpatrick CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jonathan Devin Dennis Phillippi Suzanne Thompson Lesley Young ART DIRECTOR
Patrick Aker s PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Nathan Berry Don Perry Steve Roberts SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Libby Huff ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Chris Pugh
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Wolford Trunk Show September 15 & 16
From the Editor
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Photo by Steve Roberts
here’s so much to celebrate this month that I hardly know where to begin. I’ll take a stab at a short list: cooler temps, the onslaught of party season (Zoo Rendezvous, I’ve missed you.), tailgating, Cooper Young Festival, 24 hours of relaxation courtesy of Labor Day and the return of George Clooney to the silver screen in The American. In light of celebratory occasions, I can’t fail to mention that October will mark the 15th anniversary of RSVP, which means we owe you—our loyal readers, advertisers, interviewees and nonprofit organizations—a sincere thanks for supporting our magazine’s unparalleled coverage of Memphis’ finest. This isn’t just any anniversary either. We’ve been laying out plans for two special features next month to honor the subjects we do best. People, of course! Hurry to newsstands, as I know the October issue will disappear even faster than normal. Okay, back to the September issue, which was a fun one to put together. Not only did our staff have several opportunities to attend smokin’ summer concerts, but we got to play like kids at the always anticipated SportsBall. As for my StreetSeen features, I was lucky enough to get an interview with the man behind the pre-show sound at the Orpheum Summer Movie Series (page 26), tour one of the coolest home art displays ever (page 30) and witness a crash-demo in fencing (page 32). The Vox Popular feature (page 34) allowed me to highlight one of my favorite topics, movies, and I can’t finish this paragraph without saying that it was good to be back at the YMCA for the Signature Memphis (page 10), since my first summer job ever was working for the YMCA back home in Middle Tennessee. Read up, rest up and ready up because next month will be even bigger!
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P.S.-Thanks to all the creative entries we received for the first Where in the World is RSVP? Contest. Flip to page 49 for the winner!
Leah Fitzpatrick editor@rsvpmagazine.com
President and CEO of YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South/President of Memphis Rotary Club
Hobby: Photography. Stress outlet: Exercise. Ideal vacation spot: Hawaii. Personal heroes: My parents. First job: Mowing lawns at 14. Favorite author: John Maxwell. Favorite Memphis musician: B.B. King. Childhood ambition: To play professional sports. Words or phrases you overuse: Are you kidding me? Historical figure you most identify with: Ben Franklin. Things you can’t live without: Family, friends and faith. Last book you’ve read: I, Alex Cross by James Patterson. Movie you could watch over and over again: Young Frankenstein. One thing most people don’t know about you: I’m a certified scuba diver. Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome: Dropping out of college after thinking it was the end-all.
photo by Steve Roberts
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ONSITE
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Shell Out for the Arts Le Bonheur Club Champagne Reception Salvation Army Fish Fry
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Paula Hopkins and Maria Williams at Le Bonheur Club Champagne Reception
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14 Becky Halvorson and Glenda Shorb at Le Bonheur Club Champagne Reception
rtsMemphis took their summer fund-raiser outside, specifically to the Levitt Shell, for a benefit called Shell Out for the Arts. Before making their way to the lawn for a concert by Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, guests took refuge in a VIP tent behind the stage for dinner from The Bar-B-Q Shop, lots of refreshing beer courtesy of D. Canale Beverages Inc. and wine. Just shy of 100 patrons showed up for the event debut, helping ArtsMemphis exceed its fund-raising goal of $2,000. In 1952, a group of women got together to try to raise $2 million for a children’s hospital in the Memphis area. Almost 60 years later, the group of now 300 active members of the Le Bonheur Club is celebrating the expansion of its original project to 610,000 square feet with the recent opening of the new $340 million Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. In June, the club held a Champagne reception to honor members and to celebrate the special unveiling of artwork donated by Dolph Smith, one of the many local artists who created pieces for the hospital. Donors and club members had the opportunity to preview the facility’s many unique features, such as motion-activated lighted hallways, a prayer wall and the Le Bonheur Clubroom. Nancy and Dick Barnhart invited members and guests of the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary to their place for the annual Salvation Army Fish Fry. Pat Massengill and Annette Poole chaired the gathering where fried catfish was the favored menu selection, though chicken tenders, hush puppies, slaw and Sun, banana pudding weren’t far behind. Themed “S Sandals and Salvation,” the affair drew lots of fancy sandal wearers, who competed in a best sandals contest, with first place going to Major Rhea Dawn Woodcock and second place awarded to Joan Alperin. Rounding out the activities was an icebreaker questionnaire that also served as a contest where attendees strived to get the most number of questions answered; Snookie Gibbs and Major Rick McConniell were the winners.
Alan, Nancy and Dick Barnhart at Salvation Army Fish Fry
Annette Poole and Pat Massengill at Salvation Army Fish Fry
Story and photos by Leah Fitzpatrick and Lesley Young Melinda Russell, Judy Burkett and Vera Feldman at Le Bonheur Club Champagne Reception
Missy Flinn, Steve Owens and Sarah Petschonek at Shell Out for the Arts
Neil and Arlene Southern at Salvation Army Fish Fry
Scott Smith and Tran Bui Smith with Sally and Vince Alfonso at Shell Out for the Arts
Amrita Dutta-Gupta with Pooja, Sohum and Kush Shah at Shell Out for the Arts
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“Games for Grown-ups, Futures for Kids”
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hirteen is unlucky for some, but for the “bigs” and “littles” of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis the number meant high times and games for all ages. There was definitely plenty of fun to be had at the 13th annual SportsBall, beginning with the suggested attire of formal wear and athletic shoes. Big Brother Richard Glassman and his Little Brother William Terrell co-hosted the affair, marking the first time in BBBS history that one of the group’s hundreds of pairings has taken charge. The event was held at the urban-glam Minglewood Hall in Midtown for the second year, affording guests the shadowy, chic interior of its concert hall as a venue for billiards, casino card and dice games using phony money, video games, mechanical bull riding, basketball and more. On stage, partygoers battled each other from atop wobbly pedestals while wielding padded jousting sticks to the raucous encouragement of onlookers. Others browsed quietly in an extensive silent auction. Guests of corporate sponsors were escorted to a changing area, where they emerged to proudly show off their new Nike athletic shoes given by Nike, which once again sponsored the event along with FedEx, Soul Classics 103.5, Harrah’s Entertainment, WMC-TV 5 and the Law Firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wade and Wyatt. BBBS prides itself on offering one of the few galas in Memphis that is appropriate for children and to that end, as many children as adults meandered through the maze of games with their parents, all feeling like kids in a candy store. After working up an appetite shooting hoops, guests partook of handheld munchies appropriate to the sports scene. Nibbles included hot dogs and brats loaded with onions and peppers, barbecue nachos and a buffet of brownies, cookies, fruits and marshmallows accompanied by a streaming fountain of delicious Dinstuhl’s chocolate. Amidst the frivolity, BBBS staffers wandered in and out of the crowd selling keys, one of which opened a glass case containing a spectacular $5,000 diamond ring donated by Mednikow. Halfway through the evening, a brief presentation was made to honor the efforts of this year’s Big Brother of the Year, David Hamilton, and Big Sister of the Year, Allison Bloodworth, both of whom got involved with BBBS in 2007. Then, with bow ties coming undone and shawls and wraps left sitting on chairs, it was back to game tables for a crowd that clearly didn’t want the night to end early.
See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
Clarence and Juliet Carr
Story by Jonathan Devin Photos by Don Perry
Kayla McCarty and Elise Veazey
John Elkington and Valerie Calhoun
Scott and Rachel Bendure
Dee Banta and Mike Simpson
Chip Williamson, Chris Cooper and Claire Patteson
Ron and Shannon Franks
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Blake Piel and Lindsay Mahoney
Peggie Lyons and Eric Foster
Darrick and Tyronda Cole
Jean Mathews and Tiffany Brimhall
Ricky and Renee Frazier
Lisa Ansley and Rob Clapper
Valerie Morris and Toni Boland
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EVENT James Merriweather and Shannon Towery
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SPORTSBALL Phyllis Brunson and Geraldine Perkins
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Scott and Terri Barber with Jeff Morris
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EVENT James and Erin Mullen
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Lisa Taylor and Kennedy Brown
Evelyn Morrow and Gennora Reed
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Mark Lopresti and Karen Ratcliff
Kameta Hopkins and Tiffany Collins
Josh and Adriana San Salvador
Lauren Wong and Vincent Perryman
Robert and Nancy Williams
Neira and Brian Dobbins
EVENT SPORTSBALL
Kristy Marter, Angie Goble and Alissa Fowler
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Chelsey Drobeck, Jamila Smith-Young and Janel Bonds
Katie Zizak and Ron Wong
Shereen Myers and Chris Hrabe
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Charlie Nelson and Bessie Cohren
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Chonisa and Mikell Lowery
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STREETSEEN
John Hiltonsmith “Pit Boss”
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ou probably won’t see John Hiltonsmith working at a Tunica casino, but you can safely bet that the ultimate appreciator of all things theatre organ will be commanding attention from the Orpheum pit. Since 1989, he’s been the institution’s primary organist during the Orpheum Summer Movie Series, playing some 15-20 times a season before it closes in mid-September. He also serves as caretaker for the in-house Wurlitzer organ that was installed in 1928. Hiltonsmith shares, “This organ actually fell into disrepair in the ‘60s, but it survived because it was the only one in town stored on an elevator in a pit. It was later resurrected and now has a computerized console.” To this day, Hiltonsmith admittedly gets anxious before a show because he says playing in front of a live audience never becomes second nature. However, he’s taken a liking to the dramatic entrance he makes when the pit rises up to stage level with the organ and notes that the thrill of the performance ends up overshadowing his nerves. Just don’t expect any two engagements to sound alike because Hiltonsmith plays by ear. The music that comes forth dates back to the 1930s, when his favorite organist, Don Baker, ruled New York’s Paramount Theatre. “Baker had an upbeat, rigorous style, and I recall hearing stories about my mom and dad going to the Paramount and seeing Baker come up out of the pit with the spotlight on him,” he says. Surrounded by a father he calls a big bandophile and jazzophile, as well as two out of three brothers who played instruments, Hiltonsmith’s family more than nurtured his music interests. By 15, he developed an appreciation for the theatre organ and remembers his father buying him sheet music for “Manhattan Serenade” after hearing Baker playing the song on vinyl; ironically, in later years, Hiltonsmith got the song’s arranger, Rosa Rio, to autograph the original sheet music. Next came forays in recording and the pipe organ, which he studied in college along with music education. As an adult, Hiltonsmith has gone on to feed his other musical interests by dabbling in sound design for Theatre Memphis, teaching the recording arts and serving as the fine arts department chairman for the Memphis University School and overseeing the MUS a cappella group, Beg to Differ. He also plays a 1920s Pilcher organ at Holly Springs First Presbyterian Church every Sunday and maintains his Orpheum gig. “I don’t have to worry about wishing there was something I didn’t do before I die,” Hiltonsmith figures. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts
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STREETSEEN
Tom Knowles Fencing’s Fiercest Promoter
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om Knowles had to fulfill one physical education credit during his studies at the University of Memphis, and out of all the choices he saw in the course book, fencing was the one that stuck out. He signed up, never dreaming he would take so well to the sword-wielding sport made famous by characters like Zorro. Fast forward 21 years later, and not only is Knowles teaching the same U of M course where he first learned fencing, but he’s also busy instructing 50-60 students of all ages at the Collierville Arts Academy, an arts school he runs with his wife, Julie. Once people find out that Knowles teaches fencing, the next logical question they ask is if he ever participates in competitions. He does compete some and even qualified, along with a few of his students, for the U.S. Fencing National Championship in Atlanta this year, though he couldn’t attend. The teaching side just seems to draw him in more, so much so that he’s working toward getting a fencing program at the soon-to-open Kroc Center in Midtown and continues to coach the Christian Brothers High School fencing team, which he worked with the administration to implement five years ago; this fall, Knowles estimates the team will consist of 15-20 members and will have Peter Wetzel, the current state champion in his weapon, the epee, returning as team captain. He adds, “I’d really like to break in a fencing team at St. Mary’s or St. Agnes.” Proving his point that fencing isn’t solely a men’s sport, Knowles recognizes the late Grace Kelly, Madonna and Catherine Zeta Jones among the list of famous female fencers. Even girls between the ages of 11-13 are getting in on the action, as Knowles says calls about fencing lessons from this group outnumber those from men threeto-one. He has also come across an interesting discovery related to fencers on the other end of the age spectrum. “It’s surprising how many grandmothers I’ve met here who have done fencing, but you have to remember that fencing was a popular sport for women in high school during the 1940s and 1950s,” Knowles says. The appeal for most of his students is the mix of strategic thinking and the sense that one’s releasing his or her inner hero. Knowles compares the experience to a game of chess, though faster and with swords (The three kinds used are the epee, sabre and foil.). For those who like one-onone sports, fencing is a good choice, but Knowles reinforces that students shouldn’t try to hurt each other. “When someone comes at you with a sword, a survival instinct comes out, however fencing is not about drawing blood,” he explains. Adopting heroic values of courage, sportsmanship, integrity and humility do make the cut. En garde! Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts
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reative expression runs the gamut from photography to scrapbooking, but for Carol Watkins, it means collecting and precisely arranging mostly local-made art throughout her house, as well as exercising her garden know-how in the Memphis Area Master Gardeners. Her most public creative outlet has been helping out arts-related festivals in Memphis for 15 years running. “Our city has an amazingly gifted arts community,” Watkins emphasizes. Currently, she assists RiverArtsFest as the director of art elements, with a focus on exhibits and events, however her festival experience dates back to the now-defunct Arts in the Park. How Watkins got involved with Arts in the Park is actually a fluke: She was working for Nike at the time as an IT manager and got her employer to donate shirts for a children’s art project at the festival. Watkins later became an Arts in the Park board member for five years, serving as chairman during one of those. After rolling off the board, she moved on to the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, where she directed the Gotta Have Park Festival for two years. Though the affair catered to park activities, a small artist market made up part of it. Then came a call from an old friend at Arts in the Park about a new endeavor. Watkins tells, “Lee Askew organized a meeting at the Arcade of past chairmen and board members at Arts in the Park, and every person he invited showed up, signaling to us that the city missed it.” Brooks Monypeny laid out plans for a festival following the meeting, and the group appointed Watkins director. All the event needed was a name, when Chuck Mitchell proposed a title befitting of the Bluff City event—RiverArtsFest. The group ran with the idea and actively began operating under the same 501(c)(3), Experience Art in Memphis, that Arts in the Park used and planned for the action to take place along the South Main Historic Arts District. Since the debut of RiverArtsFest in the fall of 2007, it has grown to attract a base of 200 volunteers, 25 chairmen and 80,000 visitors. More importantly, just shy of 190 artists from nearly every state in the U.S. and Canada participate in this two-day fine arts festival, scheduled for October 23-24 this year. Guests can also expect four stages of music acts, an artist demo area and kids’ art activities. And if you’re looking for a special something, Watkins recommends hitting up the juried artist market. “We pick art professionals from the community to be jurors, and we rotate them each year so that the selections always stay interesting,” she says. Take a glance around Watkins’ house, and one gets the sense the artists and the jurors have never let her down. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts
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VOX POPULAR
Vox Popular Q&A with Erik Jambor
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n a time when movie attendance should be down, box office returns surprisingly show the opposite, even for independent film festivals like the Indie Memphis Film Festival. Last year, the festival based in Midtown Memphis saw a record-breaking audience of 7,200 patrons, and this October 21-24, executive director Erik Jambor expects that number will be surpassed. Given his film school background and experience upstarting a successful independent film festival in his native Birmingham, Alabama, if anyone knows how to attract respected filmmakers and fill seats at not-your-average movies, it’s Jambor. RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick met with Jambor at one of the festival venues, Studio on the Square, for a sneak peek at the inner workings of the film festival scene, only to discover that there’s a lot more to Indie Memphis than what you see at this four-day event.
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Jambor: It’s sort of interesting because I made films all through high school, went to film school—I was in the first class at Florida State University Film School—and made films coming out of school. I was actually taking a film I made after film school, which debuted in Seattle in ’96, out to film festivals and realized there are some amazing films that I wanted to bring back to my community. My friends would get tired of me talking about these films I would see that they would never have a chance to check out. That’s when several of us decided to start our own festival. Three years later, we had done our first film festival in Birmingham, which was the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival that debuted in ’99. That was a huge success from the get-go and something that kind of connected with the community. For me, I was very excited to be able to curate and encourage filmmakers’ careers. I was also able to encourage people to become filmmakers. The festival will be in its 12th year in September, and I was a part of it for the first eight years. RSVP: Do you think being the director/co-founder of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, as well as the executive director of BendFilm in Oregon, fully prepared you for the executive director role at Indie Memphis? Jambor: Absolutely. The way most nonprofits are is you’re wearing multiple hats anyway, so in the case of Indie Memphis, as it was with Sidewalk and Bend, you can’t really staff up as you would like. There’s not much money to have adequate people, so you’ve got to be able to do a lot of different things. Here, I’m doing the Web work and the e-mail news blasts, as well as programming the films and trying to raise money. We’re hoping that we can get things running to the point where we can start to increase our yearround staff because we have a lot more to do through education and workshops for the local filmmaking community. RSVP: What are some of the different ways volunteers can get involved? Jambor: It’s everything from helping man community tables at
events in the off-season to working at the festival helping with line management, taking tickets or passing out audience ballots. A lot of people like to help out with the guerrilla marketing by putting up posters in their neighborhoods where they hang out. Sort of the biggest trick is exposing something new like this to people who don’t already know how cool it is. You have to think about the fact that a lot of people don’t know what independent film is, so they really don’t know what an independent film festival is. Then, a lot of people think the festival isn’t open to the public. What we actually have is a very intimately accessible festival, which is very different from festivals like Sundance, where the only way to participate is by reading about it in Entertainment Weekly. When you come to a festival like Indie Memphis, you’re hanging out with special guests that we invite, too. We make an effort to bring in really nice filmmakers, and they love meeting people. RSVP: How many filmmaker submissions did you get this year? Jambor: Just over 400. It was a healthy increase. By our middle deadline this year, we had exceeded the total number of submissions from last year. In the end, we should be able to show just over 100 films, but that won’t count all the short films. Photos by Don Perry
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RSVP: How do you think the experience of making a movie correlates with running a film festival?
RSVP: How long is the review process for submissions?
Jambor: It starts when films first come in during March, but for me, it starts as soon as we start looking at films after the festival. I serve on the juries of a lot of festivals and go to whichever ones I can to see what’s out there. You find films you like, talk to the filmmakers and invite them to submit. Sometimes you find a film that’s perfect, and you’ve got to have it. There’s a film called Freedom Riders that we saw open at the Atlanta Film Festival, and it’s an amazing civil rights film about the story of the freedom riders that rode buses through the South and got firebombed and had all sorts of trouble. In the documentary, there are all kinds of interviews with the surviving freedom riders. So, we’ll be showing that film at Indie Memphis. It’s sort of a great example of a film that’s letting us continue a lot of ideas in our Freedom Series that we’ve been doing for the last couple of months in different communities throughout Memphis. This one will hopefully get a lot of those participating
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communities coming down to Midtown to continue a lot of the dialogues they had over the summer. RSVP: What’s your favorite category in the festival? Jambor: I’m a big fan of the documentaries because they’re real, and you can learn about some exciting things you didn’t know existed. For us, it’s fun putting the program together because there are some really amazing films that could potentially change your life or, at the very least, become your next favorite film. It’s interesting too because you could be in on the action early in a filmmaker’s career.
RSVP: Why do you think the Indie Memphis Film Festival was named one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals” by MovieMaker Magazine last year?
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Jambor: Our jury is made up of 12, where we have three people in each category. The jury only reviews the films selected for competition. There is sort of an at-large community that is even right now reviewing films. We’ve got the Black Lodge Video guys set up, and people that are on the committee are able to go over there and check out the films. They score them online and bring them back. That helps us weed through everything because what we’re trying to do is run things that appeal to a lot of tastes. Because we have so many screens showing movies at one time, we can have an overall program that is very broad. One of the things I like to talk about is that the key word in the Indie Memphis Film Festival is “festival,” which means it’s more than just sitting in a dark theater and going home. It’s really about the experience of the event itself and connecting with other people in your own community, out-of-town filmmakers, local filmmakers and seeing the special guests.
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RSVP: How many people comprise the festival’s jury?
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Jambor: It’s that intimate piece that really connects with folks. It’s really important to me to find ways that our festival is part of the community. That’s why being here in Midtown is so key because it’s such a unique part of Memphis. We can easily point to things within a couple of blocks that have all this historic background, whether it’s Ardent Studios or the old Playhouse on the Square. Having all this uniqueness is really nice to have because the filmmakers are going to leave having had this experience they can’t match at other festivals. RSVP: How do you think the public will receive the festival being narrowed down from a week into four days? Jambor: I think they’re going to find a more vibrant, exciting festival because we’re basically taking the energy of eight days and focusing it into four. What happened was that all the out-oftown filmmakers, guests and VIPS would come in for the weekend because everyone had day jobs. For those in town who saw our posters and came down on Tuesday night, it didn’t really have that festival feeling. It just felt like some screenings were happening. Now, with fewer days for the festival, it makes us a little more focused and choosey in a way. RSVP: What are you aiming for the attendance to be this year at the festival, since I know attendance records were broken last year? Jambor: We were up 80 percent in the last two years. I don’t expect those numbers to keep going up at that projectory, but I do think we’ll be able
Jambor: I think the first thing we would like to see is for a larger part of the community to participate. The people that want to see 100 films in a weekend have been coming for years, and every year we’re adding more of the casual filmgoers to the experience. We want to be in everyone’s mind like the Beale Street Music Festival or Blues on the Bluff®, where even if you don’t go, you know it’s happening. It’s also important for people to realize this is an affordable experience. We haven’t set the ticket pricing for this year, but it’s more approachable than normal movies, and personally, my favorite way of seeing a film is without the expectations that come with giant marketing campaigns. We’re working on some ideas that I think will make it easier for people to just try stuff. Maybe if you don’t like a certain film, you can just go out and try another one. We want people to understand it’s kind of like a music festival, where each screen is like a stage with different stuff happening at different times, but it’s low-key and not as sweaty. RSVP: Can you highlight some of the other programs that Indie Memphis puts on throughout the year?
to break 8,000 attendees this year. I think that Playhouse will help us draw in some additional folks who might not otherwise come to the festival because they know Playhouse and its cultural significance. We’ll also be using three screens at the Malco Studio on the Square, as well as the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. The film schedule will be posted at indiememphis.com and in a four-page guide in the Memphis Flyer. RSVP: If you could improve anything about the Indie Memphis Film Festival, what would it be?
Jambor: The Global Lens Film Series was a big one for us this year. It’s something we’d done three years prior, but it was a part of the festival then. The program itself showcases 10 international narrative features from countries you don’t normally get to see cinema from, like Algeria, Vietnam and Uruguay. It kind of kept getting lost in the festival because we’re already running more than 100 films. If you had to pick between one of these six films, then these international ones tended to lose out. With the help of the First Tennessee Foundation, we were able to get with the Brooks and spin it off to be a separate series that took place over three months. Each film was also able to run twice, and the attendance for those films more than tripled. We always work with Memphis in May, which is a lot of fun because we’re teaming up with them to find cinema from their featured country. The only way to do a lot of these year-round events is to do these collaborations with organizations like the Brooks and Memphis in May.
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Andrienne Hare, Ashley Clanton and Stacey LaRusso at Golf Ball
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olfers who attended the first Golf Ball at Parmasters were treated to the pleasure of their favorite sport without the sweltering heat. This event was a precursor for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis 16th annual Golf Classic, held June 21 at TPC Southwind. The event featured a Taste of Memphis with samplings from The Half Shell, Itta Bena, Whole Foods and Napa Cafe. Golfers competed for prizes in skills competiCindy Brewer, Jennifer Dow, Amy Beth Dudley and Melissa Grimes tions, such as a putting contest, miniature golf and a at Girls Inc. Celebration Luncheon long drive contest. If you’ve ever wondered who issues AMBER Alerts for missing children, that would be the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit that recently put on the COMEC Treasure Hunt for its younger counterparts. Held inside and on the grounds of the Pink Palace Museum, the party for “pirates” had all aboard for an afternoon of fun: face painting by Party with Pickles, photo ops with “Backyard Friends” from In Character Productions and action heroes and fairytale characters from Wish! Memories, as well as performances by The Buccaneers on the Mississippi, Collierville Arts Academy, Mid-South Buccaneers and Studio B. Shawn Sandy, COMEC board president, and Deidra Shores, NBC Today Show kid correspondent, emceed the hunt. The Wilson Air Center on Winchester Road norKristin Budzak, Robin Enck and Nina Nash mally houses charter planes, but it recently served as a at Girls Inc. Celebration Luncheon venue for the 20th annual Girls Inc. Celebration 38 Luncheon to further remind the organization’s participants and supporters that “The sky’s the limit” for the young women of Memphis. While luncheongoers ate quiche, salad and strawberry cake prepared by Harrah’s Entertainment’s Paula Deen Buffet, the girls opened the ceremony with a version of R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” Local businesswomen and philanthropists Gayle Rose, Lynn Evans and Mary V. Relling were preStrong, sented awards for setting the example of being “S Smart and Bold”—a message of Girls Inc. in its community. Girls Inc. members were also recognized, including Alexis Williams for Girl of the Year, Vernecelyn Allen for the She’s on the Right Track Award and RaeJean Davis for the Challenger Award. Sonja Lavender, Tamika Cole-Peck, Earline Montgomery and Natia Norris at Girls Inc. Celebration Luncheon
Mario Bertangna, Hyun Cho and Dustin Krugel at Golf Ball
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick, Suzanne Thompson and Lesley Young Photos by Tran Bui, Suzanne Thompson and Lesley Young Beth and Ben Buffington, Guy Phatop and Andy Mathes at Golf Ball
Sophie and Shawn Sandy at COMEC Treasure Hunt
Allison, Brooke (baby), Terri and Aidan Smith with princesses and superheroes from Wish! Memories at COMEC Treasure Hunt
Alden, Heather and Josh Wanner at COMEC Treasure Hunt
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Dr. Louis G. Britt, Bell Sehnert and Genie Ashworth at Mid-South Transplant Foundation 40th Anniversary
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he National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee A Summer Celebration” at River Oaks Restauheld “A rant. Supporters of the NKFWT, along with kidney donors and recipients, enjoyed a five-course dinner prepared by Chef José Gutierrez which included culinary delights like potato lace shrimp with gazpacho, a scallop ceviche with apple caviar and beef tenderloin with bacon smashed potatoes. A live auction, hosted by Earle Farrell, featured items such as a “Key to My Vanecia Kimbrow, Carolyn Bishop and Darla Mayes Heart” silver chain bracelet with charm donated by at Groovin in the Garden Robert Irwin Jewelers, a catered dinner by Alice Mantia and several pieces of gold jewelry donated by King Furs. Members and guests of The Links, Incorporated returned to the Memphis Botanic Garden another year for its annual Groovin in the Garden. As the event name implies, “groovin” came in the way of music by The Will Graves Band and jazz violinist Jason Milton, but there was also a special silent auction that featured original artwork created by artist Danny Broadway. A nonprofit volunteer service organization, The Links, Inc. also used the occasion to present a $1,000 donation to the Stax Music Academy. Dr. Louis G. Britt was the man of the hour at Merry Moore, Cathy Ross, Frankie Morris and Inetta Rogers the Mid-South Transplant Foundation 40th Anniversary at Groovin in the Garden held at Bridges. Honored for his service to the foundation as its president and for performing the first kidney transplant in Memphis 40 years ago, Dr. Britt received a warm response from fellow physicians, friends and families involved with organ donation. Other awards 40 went to Erskine Gillespie, Charles Miller and Mary Hobson, whose husband was Memphis’ first kidney recipient. Women donned their best sundresses and hats while their male counterparts broke out their sport caps and shades for the debut of the Mint Julep Cup. A benefit polo match and tailgating party hosted by the Memphis Polo Club, the Sunday-afternoon affair attracted a crowd of 200 adults and children, who enjoyed pony rides throughout the game while their parents competed in hat and tailgating contests. Proceeds totaling $4,200 will benefit Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit that provides a variety of positive programming for high-risk girls in underserved areas. Bonnie and Jason Shelby at Mint Julep Cup
Erskine Gillespie and Lovie Lumpkin at Mid-South Transplant Foundation 40th Anniversary
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick and Suzanne Thompson Photos Submitted and by Rodney Jeffery and Suzanne Thompson Robert and Ingrid Bolding with Paul and Dianne Wesphal at “A Summer Celebration”
Liz Wilson McKee and Rae Lyn Hartley at Mint Julep Cup
Harold Byrd, Keith Alderman, Judge Lorrie Ridder, Susan Stralka and Ken Job Jack Green, Darlene Loprete, Bette Ackerman and Henry Kurtz at “A Summer Celebration” at “A Summer Celebration”
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Live at the Garden
LIVE AT THE GARDEN
With Al Green
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Sarah Stramel and Sherry Misner
Doug Collins and Kathy McFall
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fter touring all throughout Europe, Al Green was glad to sing for the folks back home, gauging by the performance he gave to 8,000 enthusiastic audience members at the Memphis Botanic Garden during its 10th annual Live at the Garden series. Following an energetic and tight set by Robert Randolph and the Family Band, who drew their own gathering of devotees, Green hit the stage wearing a suit and bearing armfuls of long-stemmed roses, which he personally handed to screaming female fans throughout the night. After shedding his jacket, he continued to strut, shake, sing and shout in an emerald green vest and tie while blowing away the crowd with his classic hits like “Let’s Stay Together” and “Love and Happiness.” Green also delivered several short covers by some of his associates, including Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye, whom he described as “a brother.” “He was just 100 percent on,” said event coordinator Sherry Misner of the sold-out show. “It totally exceeded our expectations. He was on fire. It was great.” Not only was Debbie Browne, who drove in from Jackson, Tennessee, pleased with Green singing all of her favorites, she was happy to see a performance again. “I saw him in college a long time ago, and I knew he stopped performing to be a minister, so I never thought I’d see him again,” she said. “I guess somehow he got a calling to come back to the stage. I’m so excited.” Browne and her friends took advantage of the VIP ticket options, allowing them access to a luxuriously decorated and air-conditioned tent, provided by Classic Party Rentals, and a spread of delectables provided by A Moveable Feast near the stage. “We started out a few years ago bringing lawn chairs and sitting in the grassy area, then we got wind of what was going on up this way,” said Browne’s friend, Leslie Underwood, also of Jackson. “This is great. The accommodations are quite fabulous.” “It’s another wonderful way to listen to music in Memphis,” said attendee Pamela Marshall.
Melissa and John Gwin
Ursula and Jeff Jones
Story by Lesley Young Photos by Nathan Berry See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP Cannie Forsyth and Lyndsay Adams
Elizabeth and Ron Hickman
Ernie and Lynn Mellor
Tom Corona and Christy Foster with Bonnie and David Thornton
Kem and Norma Wilson
EVENT LIVE AT THE GARDEN Kristi Hammond and Amy Suzor
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Laci and Tristan Jackson
Vicki Olson, Jessica Olson and Jeanie Gundlach RSVP
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Maricela Lou and Antwon Ingram
Greg Wright and Stacy Taylor
Demetri Patikas, Margaret Jabbour and Josh Hammond
EVENT Friday Sept. 10, 6-9PM To purchase tickets go to www.dixon.org or call 901-761-5250 Admission includes beer, food, art, and music Must be 21 to attend
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Live music by Mean Green Music Machine
Beer provided by: Bluff City Brewers & Connoisseurs, Boscos, Budweiser, Coors Light, Dos Equis, Ghost River Brewing, Heineken, Miller Lite
LIVE AT THE GARDEN
15th Annual
Memphis’ original beer tasting with a fine art flair
Gina Webb with Michael and Joanie Lightman
Food Provided by: Bardog Tavern, Jim ‘N Nicks Bar-B-Q, L’École Culinaire, McAlister’s Deli, Pa Pa Pia’s Italian Restaurant
4339 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN
David and Sandra Hallford
Danny and Soheila Kail
Vickie and Larry Laurenzi
Denise Watts and Beverly Mullikin
Angela Hammond and Bill Huddleston
Ann Gray and Carol Ptasienski
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EVENT LIVE AT THE GARDEN
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Gail Staples with Myra and Reggie Crenshaw
swatches fine fabrics • furniture • baby 2132 West Street • Germantown, TN 38138 (901) 759-0971 • (901) 624-3339 Fax Wendy Payton, Josh Acheson and Michelle Reed
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riday night meant hitting the town, or rather Hope House, for the group of women who attended the nonprofit’s Girls Night Out. The eve of pampering
Michael Mosby, Betty Burton and Ali Rohrbacher at Echoes of Truth Silent Auction
Rose Rubin and Ellen Watson at Stage Door Soiree
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youngest victims of the AIDS epidemic. The Orpheum gave guests of the Stage Door Soiree an all-access pass to its backstage area to generate funds for the theater’s education programs. As evidenced by the number of attendees who lined up for tours and the signature Bellini cocktail of the evening, the unique behind-the-scenes ticket was a smash. Majestic Grille provided the nibbles to satisfy the after-
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began with margaritas and wine and included facials, massages, pedicures and shopping. Local singers Valencia Robinson and Michaela Caitlin also entertained partygoers, who threw change in for a chance to win raffle prizes like jewelry and paintings. More than $2,000 was raised for the Hope House Emergency Fund, which provides emergency assistance to the
Mark Harris with Taylor and Patrick Chandler at Echoes of Truth Silent Auction
work crowd’s appetite, and a video voting session of the Orpheum’s Star Search contestants appeased musical tastes. Another happening at the Orpheum this summer included the Echoes of Truth Silent Auction, benefiting Memphis City School’s award-winning summer arts program Echoes of Truth. An estimated 1,400
Bill Burtch, Rick Bartl, Peter Raccasi and Tom Clifton at Stage Door Soiree
patrons graced the doors and bid a total of $8,800 on student-created art that revolved around the program’s theme of Memphis music. From chairs to paintings, the range of items up for grabs was endless, and bidders weren’t the only ones excited. “This is my fourth year to participate,” exclaimed artist Ali Rohrbacher. Festivities concluded with an original musical performed by students on the Orpheum stage. Story and photos by Leah Fitzpatrick Karen and Julia Gephart at Echoes of Truth Silent Auction
Victoria Bloodworth Smith, Terri Dean and Elsie Bloodworth at Hope House Girls Night Out
Betsy and Kinzie Bird at Stage Door Soiree
Marianne Olson, Jessica Cox, Betty Dupont and Maddie Ryan at Hope House Girls Night Out
Shiela White and Marilyn Hughes at Hope House Girls Night Out
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Blues on the Bluff
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BLUES ON THE BLUFF ®
WEVL’s Party on the River
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Debra and Reid Dulberger
Lisa G and LeRoy Hodges
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etal Museum Drive proved a hotbed of activity one recent summer night as hundreds of WEVL 89.9 FM supporters clamored to hear one of the region’s favored music genres—the blues. Now in its 22nd year, Blues on the Bluff® still manages to bring down the house, and the unobstructed view of the Mississippi from the National Ornamental Metal Museum grounds can’t be matched. Local musician Nancy Apple emceed the benefit concert that kicked off with a set from Last Chance Jug Band. The group is known for its rekindling of the sound of Memphis’ jug bands from the 1920s-1930s, which resonated well with band member David Evans’ daughter, Chloe Evans O’Hearn, who hula hooped the night away to the beat. Next up was The Bo-Keys, who began the second performance with a dedication to the “people we lost since the last Blues on the Bluff: Willie Mitchell, Alex Chilton and Jim Dickinson.” The band then began playing “Cleo’s Back,” while music lovers responded by kicking off their shoes and dancing. As the sun traveled beyond the horizon, the temps got a little cooler, but the music got a little hotter thanks to a finale by the Eric Deaton Trio with Kent Kimbrough. New this year was the incorporation of a silent auction into the festivities. Around 30 businesses and organizations embraced the opportunity to raise funding for WEVL and contributed offerings from gift certificates to concert tickets. Volunteer Mary-Alice Taylor said she didn’t know anywhere else where someone could get such diverse items, giving reference to gift certificates from Whole Foods and tattoo shop Underground Art. Laura Marzahl, another volunteer, joked, “You can even get a WEVL tattoo with the Underground Art gift certificate if you want.” In addition to auction bids, all proceeds from the sales at Central BBQ’s onsite stand and the purchase of tee shirts and WEVL memberships went toward helping WEVL continue its some 60 volunteer-run weekly programs. The show will definitely go on with more than $23,000 raised by 900 attendees who know how to throw in listener support and, of course, rock the bluff.
Will and Elise Griffin
Larry Franks and Diane Tonelli
Story and photos by Leah Fitzpatrick See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP Jeff Sanderson and Jackie Young
John and Kathy Brewster
Joan and Jacob Biddle
Melissa and Scott Elsholz with Buddy and Pam Chapman
Yves Beauvais and Judy Dorsey
EVENT Jessica and Paul LaFrain
Randy Alford and Randy Meeks
Cindy Ware, Wilhelmina Alfonso and Virginia Weber
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BLUES ON THE BLUFF ®
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RSV PHILLIPPI
By Dennis Phillippi
AT LEAST PEYTON’S STILL COOL
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t’s often said in sports that we build up our heroes just to tear them down. It’s a fair knock—I’ve had a hand in tearing down plenty of them—but lately it’s become more of a “How can we tear them down if they keep insisting on doing it for us?” situation. From Favre to LeBron to Tiger, the fun goes out of character assassination when the characters insist on assassinating themselves. By the time you read this, Brett Favre will probably have announced that he is unretiring for the third time. This would make him the second most retired athlete in history, passing Michael Jordan and still chasing Muhammad Ali. He has a lot of records, but this one may be more embarrassing than his record of ending his team’s seasons with a disastrous boneheaded interception. I hear the tapping out there, don’t even bother sending the email, Favre Honk, it would just go in the stack with the rest. Look, I like Favre, I really do. He’s a good Southern guy, seems like he’d be a fun hang and has got a laser cannon for an arm, which is particularly impressive considering he’s almost as old as me, but this act has worn as thin as a 10-year-old pair of Wrangler jeans. Personally, I wonder if he is really wrestling with the decision every year or just grooves on the attention. If the former is true, then he’s kind of a girl, and if the latter is true, he is a girl. As far as LeBron James is concerned, I didn’t even want to address it, but with all these athletic legends piling up in the questionable behavior camp, I can’t lay off him. It’s pretty well documented that I had a longtime man crush on LeBron. He was so cool. He came out of high school and was every bit as advertised. He dominated. He was funny. He stayed in Cleveland. I’ve been to Cleveland. I didn’t stay. And now, neither has he. Any time you start hating on Memphis, imagine for a second living in Cleveland. The Cavaliers had the best record in the regular season last season, and then LeBron disappeared in the playoffs. In the off-season, LeBron campaigned to have Chris Bosh come play for Cleveland, so he’d have someone else to blame when they faded in the play-offs this com-
ing season. Bosh passed, and they both eventually ended up in Miami. Bosh wouldn’t go to Cleveland to play with arguably the best player in the league…and he had been playing in Toronto. The Raptors were the punch line to a joke that wasn’t funny, and he still wouldn’t leave there to go to Cleveland. I understand his not wanting to move there, and I understand LeBron not wanting to stay there, but LeBron is from there. Well, he’s from Akron, but that’s like saying you’re not from Memphis, you’re from Cordova. He burned his hometown, and it smells awful. The burning, not his hometown. Cleveland has a lot of downside, but it doesn’t smell.
Of course, anyone who has ever watched an episode of any “Star Trek” show knows that a goatee equals an Evil Twin. That was the end of the man crush on LeBron. Then there’s Tiger Woods. I won’t belabor the year he has had, but we can all agree it’s been bad. Before we found out about Tiger’s many, many dalliances, the squeak in our shoe about him was that he was too perfect. It wasn’t about race, or the fact that he tended to curse in front of adoring kids when his second shot went into the drink; it was that he was a machine. He was a robot, who married a robot, and they appeared to be in the business of making more robots. If he was in the hunt on Sunday, whoever was likely to win if he wasn’t there wouldn’t. He would come tearing up behind them in that red shirt, and they’d faint like Scarlett O’Hara. It was annoying, just because he was the
only guy. If someone sidled into second place, he would grind them until they snapped. He broke David Duval. He made Ernie Els a footnote. He was on his way to making Phil Mickelson his Washington Generals. It wasn’t fun to watch. Then, the other stuff happened, and we found out that Tiger is not only human, he’s a deeply flawed human. Suddenly he’s not only a rat and a bad husband, but a pretty weak golfer as well. I often said before the wheels came off that the only thing standing between Tiger and every record in the book was boredom. I had no way of knowing that Waffle Hut waitresses could do so much damage. Who knows, it’s a few weeks between the time I write this and the time you read it, so maybe he somehow pulled it together and made a showing in the PGA Championship. From where I as a sports fan sit right now, that seems about as likely as seeing the announcement of the opening of the Lady Gaga Theater in Branson. Obviously, Tiger needs help. He fired one coach and looks to have picked up a new one. He needs one. He probably could use some coach time with a good therapist, too. But, his big solution? Growing a goatee. How is that going to help? He went from a clean-shaven quasiheroic Terminator to a kind of sinister looking version of himself. Of course, anyone who has ever watched an episode of any “Star Trek” show knows that a goatee equals an Evil Twin. Evil Twins are always sporting a goat. This isn’t Tiger. It’s his demented doppelganger. So, I didn’t get to help bring any of these guys down, they did it for us. But one of the great things in writing about sports is even if I didn’t knock them down, I can still kick them while they’re there. Ah, sweet schadenfreude. I demand extra bonus points for working doppelganger and schadenfreude into the same column.
Who should really get extra bonus points is Brett Favre, LeBron James and Tiger Woods if each knows what “schadenfreude” means. Somehow, from Phillippi’s assessment of the current shenanigans involved with American athletes, I’m sure locating a dictionary is the least of their worries.
After Hours A photo collage of the latest business happenings
MEDNIKOW GIRLS NIGHT OUT FEATURING NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS
AFTER HOURS
JAMES DAVIS ANNUAL FISH FRY
MRS. POST FINE STATIONERY GRAND OPENING
R.C. Johnson and Van Weinberg at James Davis
Jay Mednikow and Designer Laura Bicego at Mednikow
Larry and Omari Porter at James Davis
Meghan Kirby and Christina Moran at Mednikow Sara Beth Raab and Donny Granger at Mrs. Post Fine Stationery
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Natalie Chang and Lindsey Cross at Mrs. Post Fine Stationery
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Glynn Cyprien with Van and Bo Abbay at James Davis
Dana Cross and Sheridan Cross at Mrs. Post Fine Stationery
Holly Bronson, Tiffany Brimhall and Anne Roberts at Mednikow
METHODIST LE BONHEUR HEALTHCARE & UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER HOST DR. OZ TALK AT MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Michael Rea and Cami Krablin at James Davis
Dr. Susan Murrmann, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Barbara Robinson at Dr. Oz Talk at Memphis Botanic Garden
Jennifer Ventre and Joanna Foster at Mednikow
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An Evening with a Baseball Legend
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he night prior to Trump’s Castle Hotel and Casino Riverboat Party on the Mississippi, the casino’s high rollers gathered for a private celebration at Folk’s Folly. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Willie Mays was the celebrity host at the kick-off and agreed to have his picture taken with Ernie Barrasso, who represented Trump’s Castle for four years and served as the skipper for the riverboat party. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERNIE BARRASSO If you have a past photo you would like to share with RSVP readers, please contact Leah Fitzpatrick at 276-7787 ext. 105 or e-mail the photo and caption to editor@rsvpmagazine.com All photos will be returned promptly.