When you go without electricity for days, as many Memphians have, you go feral. You get desperate. You offer to bribe power crews.
And if at first you don’t succeed…
Month: June 2017
Musical theatre doesn’t get more bedrock than Rodgers & Hammerstein. Take a gander at what Theatre Memphis is doing with one of the duo’s most celebrated classics. [slideshow-1]
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Listen Up: Swedish Gun Factory
Michael Donahue
Swedish Gun Factory: Isaac Middleton and Thomas Bergstig
The performing careers of Thomas Bergstig and Isaac Middleton went from head to toe – literally.
Before they knew each other, Bergstig, 42, and Middleton, 25, sang in their first musical – “Hair” – in separate productions in different countries.
Now they are tap dancing – while playing musical instruments – in Swedish Gun Factory.
The duo recently released a promotional video, which features examples of their tap dancing and music, on youtube.
Bergstig, who is from Stockholm, Sweden, began playing piano when he was 10, but he sang on stage for the first time in “Hair” when he was 21 after meeting a woman involved in theater. “Musical theater was totally my thing after that,” he said. “I guess it’s a combination of that wholeness of acting, singing, dancing. The whole production.”
A few years later, Bergstig and some friends formed a tap dancing group called JEERK, which stood for the last names of members Jansson, Eriksson, Erixzon, Regnell and Karlsson. “My name didn’t make it,” Bergstig said.
Like Swedish Gun Factory, the members of the group, which still performs around the country, play musical instruments while they dance.
In 2009, JEERK got a gig in Branson, Mo. Bergstig stayed after he met Memphis singer Alexis Grace at the Andy Williams Theater. He eventually moved to Memphis and he and Grace were married.
Bergstig taught tap dancing and, later, became music director at Bolton High School before landing the music director position at Playhouse on the Square.
A native of Harlan, Ky, Middleton grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico, where his parents were missionaries. “I just grew up in a different world, which gave me a different perspective of things,” Middleton said.
He played bass and later keyboards before venturing onto other instruments in “El Cordero” (The Lamb), a praise and worship band at his church.
Middleton became fascinated with tap dancing when he was 15. “I saw ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ for the first time. And it just blew me away. I loved it. So, I went on line and tried to learn the different steps on YouTube and stuff. I was terrible.”
His first theatrical venture was performing in the ensemble in a 30-minute repertory version of “Hair” at Western Kentucky University.
He took his first tap dance class in college. “I didn’t have tap shoes ‘cause I ordered the wrong pair. And then they wouldn’t come in for two months. So, my first dance class I spent just wearing jazz shoes. It’s just a soft shoe. I think it helped, honestly, ‘cause I wasn’t making too many loud noises and I got to think how it felt rather how it sounded.”
Middleton moved to Memphis last year to appear in Playhouse on the Square’s production of “Kiss Me Kate.”
He met Bergstig on a friend’s porch. “He seemed like the coolest dude. And he tap danced. I messaged him after I met him and I was like, ‘Dude, if you ever want to tapdance let me know.’”
Bergstig called him soon after. “He had all the choreography ready,” Middleton said. “We would try certain things, but it was him showing me the moves. And me hoping I would get it. And I usually got it.”
They began writing music and developing tap dance routines. They occasionally sing during a number. “When we write something it, literally, can turn out to be anything,” Bergstig said. “And the tap dance helps, too, ‘cause we view it as an instrument more than the dance.”
“The main reason we got together and started working in the first place is he wanted to audition on ‘America’s Got Talent,’” Middleton said. “That was his main thing.”
They didn’t get on the TV show, but Swedish Gun Factory was born.
Bergstig and Middleton wanted a name people would strongly react to. “Swedish Gun Factory,” was “like a thing that shouldn’t exist,” Bergstig said. “A Swedish gun factory? No such thing.”
He and Middleton play several instruments, including guitar, piano, banjo and mandolin, and employ a range of musical styles from classical to punk rock while they’re tapping. “It can be almost a symphonic piece to emo to Death Cab for Cutie,” Bergstig said.
They dance in special tap shoes, which were created for JEERK. “We built these tap shoes out of sneakers because we were ruining all the other shoes so fast,” Bergstig said.
The shoes originally were built by a cobbler in Sweden. He added a metal plate on the inside so the taps could be screwed into the bottom. He then built up the inner sole with leather.
“It’s very comfortable,” said Middleton. “It’s heavier, so you feel a lot more grounded when you tap. So, you can do a lot more powerful things without doing much damage to your feet.”
“The only thing is it’s difficult to be really fast because they’re so heavy,” Bergstig said.
Their first gig was at the Hi-Tone. “It went really well,” Middleton said. “We had a guitar tap number that we did. ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia.’”
Bergstig and Middleton recently appeared in Playhouse on the Square’s production of “Million Dollar Quartet.” Bergstig played “Fluke” the drummer and Middleton played “Carl Perkins.”
In about a month, Swedish Gun Factory is going to regroup, but not go out of business. Bergstig and Grace are moving to Los Angeles. “I’m going to set up camp and really try to promote this thing,” Bergstig said. “There’s so much fun commercial art happening there.”
Middleton plans to eventually join them. “I’m kind of letting him set up camp before I plop myself down there.”
Except for the shoes, the Swedish Gun Factory members haven’t adopted an on-stage look. “He’s not a fan of skinny jeans,” Middleton said. “I enjoy the skinny jean look. But that’s just my emo self.”
For now, they wear blue jeans or sweats and button downs or T-shirts. “We’ll figure it out,” Middleton said. “We’ll start with the art.”
'Uncalled For' from Michael Donahue on Vimeo.
Listen Up: Swedish Gun Factory
Almost one week after straight line winds hit the city, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) has reported that just under 22,000 customers remain without power, as of this morning.
As the utility is continuing now to repair smaller outages, which takes tedious work and more time, MLGW officials believe that full restoration could extend into early next week.
Using more restoration resources than those following Hurricane Elvis in 2003, MLGW has a total of 101 contract overhead line crews, along with 78 tree trimming crews that are working around the clock.
In the meantime, for those who remain without power, charging stations provided by AT&T are available at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central and Whitehaven Libraries, as well as at the Ed Rice Community Center today and throughout the weekend.
Salvation Army also began passing out meals at the Ed Rice Community Center yesterday and will continue with dinner this evening at 6:00, as well as lunch and dinner through Sunday.
Providing food, water, ice, and air conditioning, the Union Grove Baptist Church in Frayser is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until power is restored in the surrounding neighborhoods.
A full list of storm resources can be seen here.
Last year an anonymous donor gave $12 million to the city to upgrade the lights on the Harahan Bridge and the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.
While the Harahan has been lit for some time, the “new bridge,” or the “M bridge” may get its turn soon.
An application was submitted this week to the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board for the project.
Details are below but feast thine eyes on what engineers at Phillips have planned.
If you want more details, here’s the project summary submitted to the DRB this week:
“Project overview – This lighting concept proposal modernizes the iconic Hernando De Soto Bridge with dramatic, color changing LED lighting and state of the art controls.
Recognized across the region for its sweeping “M” shaped superstructure accented with 196 individual light points, the Hernando De Soto has marked time and space for Memphis and its visitors across four decades. The Hernando De Soto’s contribution to pop culture in Memphis is ubiquitous.
Philips’ acknowledges and appreciates the importance of this bridge to Memphis’ culture and brand. We are very proud to partner with the city and its stakeholders to preserve and enhance this civic treasure.
Philips’ goal with this modernization is to stay true to the original design of individual light points so that the integrity of the iconic “M” shape can be maintained while the bridge is “at rest”.
As a practical matter this upgrade to LED is timely. The legacy lighting in place on the bridge is beginning to fail and is quite expensive to maintain. A wholesale retrofit to LED and controls not only makes practical sense, it also aligns with the city’s desire to embrace and implement sustainable technology solutions that attract and enhance economic development.
A custom fixture assembly has been designed by Philips Lighting applications engineers specifically for use on this project so that the “light point” concept can be maintained with similar luminous intensity when the bridge is illuminated in “warm white” mode (default).
Philips’ design will assure that this improvement to LED stays true to the current, classic lighting design of individual light points. To create additional impact, the bridge support cables will be illuminated using strands of color changing direct view LED nodes.
Furthermore, in an effort to strike a balance with its neighbor to the south, the superstructure of the Hernando Desoto will incorporate floodlighting similar to the Harahan Bridge. The implementation of these two additional lighting concepts to the bridge will help to flatter the unique architectural features of the bridge and create a bold canvas to bring the bridge to life during special events.
Customizable lighting content based on event calendar will be implemented to complement The Big River Crossing/Harahan. (These themes and concepts include but are not limited to *default/warm white, Independence Day, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Christmas, Hannukah, New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mardi Gras, Pride Week, Cancer Awareness, Autism Awareness, Earth Day and many others).”
Twitter
A gathering of some of the ‘Climate Mayors.’
Mayors from across the country and up and down the Mississippi River (including Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland) vowed to keep working toward a clean future despite President Donald Trump’s removal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Trump said last week that the deal was a threat to the U.S. economy and its sovereignty. He said he planned to negotiate a better deal on climate change with other countries. The U.S., Syria, and Nicaragua are now the only nations outside the agreement.
The decision quickly made ripples at home as mayors with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRTCI) said they were “disappointed” in the decision and that it removes the U.S. from the negotiating table on the details of the program.
More specifically, they said rising waters in the Mississippi River would threaten $146.6 billion in agricultural products moved up and down the river each year. Strickland said $6.3 billion of those products move through Tennessee to U.S. and foreign markets, noting that the Port of Memphis is the second-largest on the river and fifth-largest nationwide.
But Strickland took a broader look at the issue of climate change in a Friday statement, saying he “supports responsible climate policy and the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
“In fact, the city of Memphis started taking action years ago on many of the items outlined by this group of mayors,” Strickland said. “For instance, we’ve already completed a greenhouse gas inventory and Memphis 3.0 will be working on a climate action plan.”
On Thursday, a group of 86 mayors from across the country (who call themselves the “Climate Mayors”) issued a letter on Medium, saying “the president’s denial of global warming is getting a cold reception from America’s cities.”
That letter said they’d push their own cities to increase investments in renewable energy, buy and create more demand for electric cars, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and more.
“And if the president wants to break the promises made to our allies enshrined in the historic Paris Agreement, we’ll build and strengthen relationships around the world to protect the planet from devastating climate risks,” the letter said. “The world cannot wait — and neither will we.”
The letter was signed by the mayors of the country’s biggest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Boston. In Tennessee, it was signed by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. Regionally, it was signed by the mayors of New Orleans and Little Rock.
Meanwhile, Memphis Rep. Steve Cohen said the U.S. stood to save $5.3 trillion in healthcare costs by staying in the agreement. Beyond the financial costs, the decision “could prove to be a calamitous decision to humanity.”
“Without action, the continued effects of climate change will lead to increased instances of natural disasters, severe drought and famine across the globe that could result in humanitarian crises and war,” Cohen said in a statement. “Withdrawal from the agreement means turning our backs on protecting against the loss of coastal cities, beaches and habitats, as well as on goals for waste reduction and resource recovery.”
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said he talked to Trump’s team “several times” last week about the decision. Domestic lawsuits, however, on the matter could now “stifle economic growth here at home.”
“I appreciate the president’s desire to renegotiate an agreement that is more in line with what is achievable in a manner that promotes an increase in the standard of living of American citizens and protects our environment,” Corker said. I stand ready to work with (Trump) toward that end.”
• Memphis Farmers Market will launch a Wednesday afternoon market, 4-7 p.m., at Court Square downtown, starting Wednesday, June 28th.
It will be called MFM² and will run through September 27th.
• The famers market at the Memphis Botanic Garden is taking a “planning year,” which means no market this year. They’re looking for a better site for the market and hope to revamp their vendor list.
* Now done with its renovations, Tsunami will begin hosting Pau Hana Time, a happy hour Monday through Friday, 5-7 p.m. “Pau hana” is Hawaiian and means to “done working.” It’s a nod to chef/owner Ben Smith’s time in Hawaii and, in keeping with the theme, Smith will offer new dishes with a Hawaiian inspiration.
• The Hard Rock Cafe is bringing back its World Burger Tour for National Burger Month.
Among the burgers on the menu:
Tango Salsa Burger (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – shake it up with andouille sausage, Certified Angus Beef®, salsa criolla, garlic aioli, Monterey jack cheese, fresh arugula and a fried egg to top off the burger
Olé Burger (Barcelona, Spain) – a fury of red peppered Romesco sauce, roasted vegetables, with goat cheese crumbles and arugula, dancing on a Certified Angus Beef® and between a toasted bun
And and and …
Tennessee BBQ Burger (Tennessee, United States) – like a good country ballad, this Certified Angus Beef® burger brings happy tears with BBQ dry rubbed premium beef topped with pickle slices, Memphis slaw, pulled pork, pig sauce, crispy onions and cheddar
The burgers will be offered through June 25th.
• Ruth’s Chris is hosting a five-course wine dinner with the historic Chateau Montelena Winery.
The dinner will feature the rare 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the 210 Napa Valley Petite Sirah.
Brett Batterson
Orpheum CEO Brett Batterson was playing on a neighbors porch in Davenport, Iowa when an unfamiliar black car pulled up in front of his parents house, and two men in suits got out. The news they brought was bad. Batterson’s father had died of a massive heart attack. He was only 30. Batterson was 7. Years later, as CEO of the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, and with that terrible day in mind, he launched Hands Together, Heart to Art, a one-of-a-kind theater camp for kids who shared his experience of having lost one, or both parents.
“I realized that involvement with the arts and the theater specifically gave me a group of friends I could rely on,” says Batterson, who grew up in a creative household with a puppet theater in the basement. “It gave me a place to express myself creatively, and it gave me self-confidence. One of the biggest things councilors see in kids who’ve lost a parent is a lack of confidence.” He wanted to replicate that experience, as much as possible, for as many kids as he could reach. Now that he’s in Memphis, with the full resources of the new Halloran Centre at his disposal, Batterson has announced the arrival of Mending Hearts, a similar camp, with similar goals, but a different approach.
[pullquote-1] “When we were talking to Blue Cross/Blue Shield about funding they said they were interested in programs that had a health aspect,” Batterson says. “And I said, well, here’s this one program that we’ve talked about bringing from Chicago. I don’t want people to think we’re doing it just for the funding because this was already on my mind. But that was the motivation.”
Mending Hearts is inspired by “the soul of the Chicago camp,” according to Batterson. “But it’s different in a few ways,” he says. “One of the things that’s different here is that we’re focusing more on the art for art’s sake, and letting some of the healing that comes through creative expression happen more organically than we did in Chicago. Although the counseling is vitally important it will be used to support what they’re doing in the classroom.”
A typical day at Mending Hearts camp will include music, acting, and dance classes, visits from guest artists, and time for the campers to bond and share stories.
“The hardest part of the first year is just getting the word out and getting campers,” Batterson says. “After that word of mouth takes over.”
So tell your friends. 
July 10-21, 2017, Monday through Friday, 9 am – 4 pm
Cost: $50 per family; scholarships available — no child will be turned away due to financial hardship
Ages: 6-13Application Deadline: June 26, 2017 or until all spots are filled.
Before and after extended care available and lunch and snacks provided free of charge.
JB
Rep. Dwayne Thompson (r), the Democrats’ surprise winner in last fall’s race in state House District 96, hopes to transfer his magic to District 95 Democratic candidate Julie Byrd Ashworth, seen here at recent fundraiser in Germantown.
Early voting in the special general election for the vacant district 95 state House of Representatives seat remains at the low level that primary voting for the seat previously generated.
As of Friday morning, with 8 days to go until the early-voting closing date of Saturday, June 10, the Shelby County Election Commission was reporting 688 votes from the more than 50,000 eligible voters in the district, which includes portions of Collierville, Germantown, and Eads.
The candidates are Republican Kevin Vaughan, Democrat Julie Byrd Ashworth, and independents Robert Schutt and Jim Tomasik.
The early voting period for the general election began last Friday, May 26. Voting totals for the earlier Republican and Democratic primaries in the race were 4,327, or 8.4 percent.
That beloved Memphis institution, the Orpheum Summer Movie Series, kicks off its 2017 season this Friday with the classic musical from 1971, Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.
Following the death last August of Willie Wonka star Gene Wilder, this screening promises to be extra emotional. The movie did not do well on its initial release, but became a favorite during the VHS era, The wild production design and upbeat songs hold up, but it’s Wilder’s mercurial performance, which ranges from jolly to downright frightening, that elevates the film to classic status.
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Kicks Off Orpheum Summer Movie Series (2)
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Kicks Off Orpheum Summer Movie Series
In the twenty first century, Wilder’s Wonka got the ultimate tribute—it inspired a meme.
Doors open at 7 PM for the show. There will be a Wonka trivia contest, drink specials, and a performance on the Orpheum’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ. You can see the full schedule for the Orpheum Summer Movie series on their website.