As far as food goes for the Flyer‘s Best Of party, the general rule is: If you snooze you lose.
The party started at 6 p.m. Here’s a shot of a platter from Sekisui (first place for “Best Japanese/Sushi”) at 6:40 p.m.
Month: September 2009
The countdown continues with two very different indie-rock records — one whose appeal is strongly tied to lyrics, the other more well … um … sonic.
46.
Album: Tallahassee — The Mountain Goats (4AD, 2002)
Songwriter John Darnielle has released some 16 albums under the Mountain Goats moniker since the mid-’90s, but Tallahassee was a breakthrough — a more polished record on a more prominent label than his hard-to-find and lo-fi earlier albums. It’s also a songwriting tour de force, a concept album about a couple that makes a cross-country move only to watch their relationship disintegrate. It’s set in the titular town, where plums grow heavy with nectar in the front yard, but in this paradise their love passes out on the couch and their house — no longer a home — drips blood. Tallahassee‘s mid-album peak, “No Children,” is so intensely dark it’s also intentionally comical. But the wordplay is dazzling throughout. Samples: “I am not going to lose you/We are going to stay married/In this house like a Louisiana graveyard/Where nothing stays buried.” “Our love is like the border between Greece and Albania/Trucks loaded down with weapons/Crossing over every night/Moon yellow and bright.”
Song Sample: “No Children”
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(Mud) Island Dreams
Architects from Looney Ricks Kiss presented three alternatives for a Mud Island land-use plan last night at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Mary Cashiola has more.
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Alex Harrison is Everywhere
The Flyer‘s annual “Best of Memphis” issue hit the streets today. It’s packed with goodness, but one of the cooler elements is the series of illustrations from local artist Alex Harrison …
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Island Dreams
When I think about relaxing on the island, I’m not thinking of Mud Island. But maybe one day, with some of the improvements being discussed right now, I will.
Architects from Looney Ricks Kiss (LRK) presented three alternatives for an island land-use plan last night at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Possibilities included a pedestrian bridge, a ferris wheel, a skatepark, play areas, restaurants, and even a continuation of Poplar Avenue over the Wolf River Harbor.
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Remembering Amnesia
Several years before I moved to Memphis in 2002, my friends and I made monthly pilgrimages to the Bluff City to hang out at Amnesia, the popular gay club housed at 2866 Poplar (now home to Senses).
- Senses is going gay!
Memories are fuzzy, but a few things stand out. One time, when the club hosted an amateur strip night, I recognized a guy from my high school baring it all. I also have fond memories of the pool, located where Senses’ patio is now. And I was once stranded outside the club after closing time when one of my best buds took off for a one-night stand with a hot lawyer. I waited and waited on the club’s front steps after everyone else had cleared out. Eventually, an off-the-clock drag queen exited the club and warned me that the area wasn’t safe after dark. Thankfully my friend returned within the hour, and I made it back to Arkansas in one piece.
Senses, which has primarily been a straight club for years, is bringing the old gay club back with Retro Amnesia Nights on Thursdays and Saturdays. With Backstreet temporarily closed, the club saw a massive turnout last weekend. And though the pool won’t be making a comeback, a few things have changed for the better — clean bathrooms and mod, funky decor beat Amnesia’s crusty old interior any day.
Thursdays are Beer Bust Nights from 10 p.m. to midnight with a $5 cover. Saturdays feature plenty of dancing and a drag revue for a $10 cover ($15 for those under 21). For more, check out Senses‘ website.
The Flyer‘s annual “Best of Memphis” issue hit the streets today. It’s packed with goodness, but one of the cooler elements is the series of illustrations from local artist Alex Harrison.
An illustrator, painter, and musician (via his band The Warble), Harrison is featured on the latest installment of ArtsMemphisTV. Check it out here.
- Charlotte Davis
One morning a couple weeks ago, Lucy Davis, the 7-year-old daughter of Flyer staffer Chris Davis, had a little crying spell.
Lucy, along with her twin Josie, was to visit Dinstuhl’s Pleasant View candy-making facility that day with her class and the sheer anticipation was more than she could take.
I feel ya, kid … which is also to say, pass the hankies, because Dinstuhl’s is having its annual holiday open house on Sunday, November 8th, from 1 to 5 p.m.
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New Guy Rediscovers His Old Sport
It’s not easy being the new guy or the new girl in any sport, but even harder if you’re from another culture.
The minute you step on the court, green, or field, the regulars start checking you out. Oversell your skills and you’ll be found out sooner or later and probably demoted if not shunned. Undersell yourself and you won’t get the competition and workout you deserve.
Meet Mohamed, a new guy who rediscovered fun in his old sport.