Month: March 2006

News

And Now for Something Completely Different

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 24, 2006

Looking for an unusual night of theater? Book a seat for Saucy Jack and the Space Aliens, playing through April 2nd at the Circuit Playhouse.

Set in a galaxy consumed by eco-wars, a seedy nightclub on a distant planet offers refuge to the depraved and disco-deprived. But as murderous mayhem lurks, the crime-fighting Space Vixens shine a mirror-ball beacon of hope through the boogie nights. A futuristic, fun-filled musical tribute to the era of bubble-wrap and glitter boots, this campy post-millenium Rocky Horror Show will have divas of disco grooving with a ‘Saturday Night Fever’ until the ‘last dance.’

Circuit Playhouse, 1705 Poplar, 726-4656

Politics Politics Feature

Dixon Trial Date Set

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

Former Tennessee senator Roscoe Dixon (D-Memphis) will go to trial April 17th on extortion and bribery charges connected to Operation Tennessee Waltz, attorneys and a federal judge said Thursday.

Dixon made a brief appearance in court before U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla, who confirmed the trial date.

“I’m ready to go and it looks like we can proceed on that schedule,” said McCalla.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Discenza told McCalla the government will have all discovery materials including videotapes and transcripts to Dixon’s lawyers by March 30th. Discenza told reporters he expects the trial to last two or three weeks.

Dixon and his attorney, William L. Johnson, declined to comment.

Dixon, who left the Senate in 2005 to take a job as a top aide to Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, is charged with taking payoffs to advance legislation favorable to a sham computer recycling company run by undercover FBI agents. Dixon resigned from the county job after being indicted last May. Dixon previously served a total of 22 years in the Tennessee House and Senate.

Sports Sports Feature

Sweet 16

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

CREDIT: gotigersgo.com

The Memphis Tigers won their third straight game in the NCAA tournament by 16 points to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1992. The Tigers defeated Bradley 80-64. After leading by five at halftime (35-30) Memphis pulled away by the middle of the second half to a comfortable lead and held on behind Rodney Carney’s 23 points. The Tigers will face UCLA in the West Region championship game Saturday night. UCLA edged Gonzaga to win the right to take on the Tigers. For details, check out Sports Illustrated.com

News

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

There was much speculation in Europe last weekend that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were going to tie the knot at George Clooney’s Italian villa. Not so, apparently. In fact, the latest rumors are that Brad was back in the states, watching his two favorite teams in the NCAA tournament.

No word yet on whether the reclusive Brad Mem will be attending tonight’s Bradley-Memphis game.

Food & Wine Food & Drink

Tigers Scotch Plans

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

CREDIT: baronbob.com

Looks like the Brooks Museum moved the time of a Thursday-night event to accommodate the Tigers game against Bradley. From an e-mail from the Brooks:

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

NEW TIME: 5 p.m.

The Macallan Scotch Tasting

Treat yourself to samples of five single malts from The Macallan, universally recognized as one the world’s greatest scotch whiskies. The evening includes gourmet tastings from the acclaimed Brushmark Restaurant. You can do both! Enjoy the Macallan Tasting and Watch Tiger Basketball!

Because of the U of M game scheduled for 6:37 tip-off, the Macallan Scotch Tasting has been bumped up to 5 p.m.

5 – 5:30 pm cocktails; 5:30 – 6:15 pm seminar

Questions and Answers to follow, but avid fans can still make it home for the game.

Sports Sports Feature

Thanks, SI!

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

For believers in the infamous Sports Illustrated cover jinx — a hex that ruins the championship hopes of any athlete or team that appears on the magazine’s cover — the University of Memphis may have received its first break well before tonight’s tip-off against Bradley.

Film Features Film/TV

Macho, Macho Men

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

What is Macho? How does Macho act? What does Macho smell like? These questions and more are answered in the instructional video Mas Macho in Memphis. Filmed at the acclaimed 2001 Mas Macho Convention in Memphis (What? You don’t remember it?) Well, sit back and watch this 13-minute video diary, as LopeDog, T-Bone, Johnny Mounaki, Don Antonio, and Ricky Del Man tour a Redbirds game, Graceland, and Beale Street. Watch as they destroy The Peabody and keep a vigilant eye for Regis Philbin. Or just watch because it’s weird. Because, it is.

News

Six Degrees of Memphis: The Go-Go’s

Post author By John Branston
Post date March 23, 2006

CREDIT: socialitelife.com

Six Degrees of Memphis: The Go-Go’s

Eighties pop band the Go-Go’s are playing Sam’s Town on Friday. We can link them to Memphis by two degrees.

Guitarist Jane Wiedlin appeared on season four of VH1’s Surreal Life with rapper Da Brat who is seen here making friends with one of Memphis’ newer residents, David Gest.

Politics Politics Feature

Trent and Bill, Sittin’ in a Tree …

Post author By Flyer Staff
Post date March 23, 2006

CREDIT: WashingtonPost.com

In a recent interview with the Galveston, Texas, Daily News, Mississippi senator Trent Lott gave gave Tennesse senator Bill Frist low marks, to say the least.

Lott said Frist didn’t have the experience to lead a political body as fractious as the Senate, adding, “I don’t think he’ll go down in history as one of the greats.” Frist, who is dogged by questions about stock transactions involving his family company, plans to step down next year as majority leader to make a run for the presidency. It’s a run that Lott doesn’t think much of.

“I don’t think he has a shot at that,” Lott said.

Lott is currently on tour promoting his memoir, Herding Cats. All we can say is meow.

To read more about Lott’s comments on Bush, Katrina, and Tom DeLay, go here.

Politics Politics Feature

Told You So

Post author By Jackson Baker
Post date March 23, 2006

We’ve said for a while that the potential vote for U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. will be elevated by national media attention to this storyline: “Can a bright young charismatic African-American congressman overcome racial bias and his family history to win a pivotal swing-state election for the Democrats?”

Newsweek hits this very point head-on with an article, “Digging for Dirt in Dixie,” which takes the Republicans to task for alleging a sybaritic lifestyle for the Memphis congressman (“Armani suits, four-star hotels and day-spa pedicures”) on the Web site www.fancyford.com. Key lines in the newsmagazine’s story: “Ford wants to be the first black senator from the South since Reconstruction. And don’t forget family history.” Mayor Willie Herenton, no Ford lover, recently said, “Folks who live outside Tennessee, they don’t have a damn vote!” No, but folks in Tennessee do have Newsweek subscriptions.