Month: April 2019

Pet Sematary

Post author By Chris McCoy
Post date April 11, 2019

Jeté Laurence (right) in Pet Semetary

Death. It happens to the best — and worst — of us, eventually. It’s the one time you’re sure to get your name in the paper, even if you’re not going to be around to enjoy it. It is, as writer Neil Gaiman called it, the high cost of living.

“It’s natural. We all die eventually,” says Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) to his daughter Ellie (Jeté Laurence) when she asks why pets don’t live as long as their human masters. Louis should know. As a doctor who has worked the graveyard shift in a busy Boston emergency room, he’s seen a lot more death than most people. But now that he’s moved to the small town of Ludlow, Maine, with his family in tow, he hopes to see a lot less of it. Living in the rural community, he can afford a big farmhouse surrounded by 50 acres of forest, and his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) can stay home with Ellie and their son Gage (played by twins Hugo and Lucas Lavoie).

Louis’ precise but dispassionate explanation of the relative metabolic rates of humans and dogs is scientifically accurate, but does nothing to assuage Ellie’s bedtime trepidation about mortality. Rachel, who has her own unresolved issues about death stemming from her sister’s untimely demise, scolds him for scaring their kids. But he thinks it’s better to be honest with them. You don’t have to like death — most people agree it sucks — but you have to accept it as a part of life.

Didn’t anyone tell them sometimes dead is better? Jason Clarke (left) and John Lithgow contemplate breaking the barrier in the new Pet Sematary remake.

But since Pet Sematary is an adaptation of a novel even author Stephen King thinks went too far (“It just spirals down into darkness,” he writes in the introduction), Louis is going to get a chance to learn that lesson anew. Way out back of his new house, far into the spooky Maine woods, Ellie discovers the place where the neighborhood kids have been burying Spots and Rexes for generations. And a bit beyond that, through a tall wall of brambles, bees, and downed trees, is another cemetery on a hill surrounded by swampland. When Ellie’s cat Winston Churchill falls victim to one of the trucks that blaze by on the narrow logging road, neighbor Jud (John Lithgow) shows Louis that if you bury something in the hidden boneyard, it will come back to life.

Had Louis reviewed the existing literature on resurrection, he would have known that bringing someone back from the dead is usually a very bad idea. Sure, it worked out okay for Jesus, but for everyone from Persephone to Dr. Frankenstein to Buffy Summers, it would have been better just to let the dead stay buried. In exchange for an all-too-brief relief from grief, complications invariably arise with the revenant. Even after a deceased patient (Obssa Ahmed) returns as a ghost to warn Louis that “the barrier must not be broken,” the doctor still can’t resist playing god when death touches his own little family.

This is the second time King’s Pet Sematary has been adapted for the screen. The first was in 1989, when director Mary Lambert (who did Madonna’s classic “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” music videos) worked from a script by the writer himself. It came toward the end of a slew of King adaptations that ranged from the transcendent (Kubrick’s The Shining) to the cocaine-fueled fiasco (Maximum Overdrive, still King’s only director credit). That film is definitely in the top tier of ’80s horror, mostly thanks to iconic performances by Fred Gwynne as Jud and Miko Hughes as the murderous zombie toddler Gage, and a classic theme song by the Ramones.

This version, co-directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, definitely carries the stamp of the art horror movement. Even more so than the 1989 incarnation, it relies on visual atmospherics and a slow burn pace. Unsurprisingly, Lithgow is the most compelling onscreen presence. His Jed is a darker, more subtle version than Gwynne’s avuncular Mainer. Clarke plays Louis as a likable but bland everyman, leaving a brittle Seimetz to trace the family’s decaying emotional orbit. Laurence is the film’s breakout star, if only for her delivery of the line, “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

Pet Sematary is a perfectly functional little horror movie. It doesn’t truck in ’80s nostalgia, and its significant changes to the source material mostly turn out to be improvements. Unfortunately, the viewing experience suffers from hitting theaters just weeks after Us turned the genre inside out. That’s not the film’s fault, of course — being upstaged by a genius happens to the best and worst of us — but if you’re not a genre diehard or King completist, you can be excused if you find it a bit underwhelming.

News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1572

Post author By
Post date April 11, 2019

Bell Ringers

April Fools Day is a minefield for news content creators. It’s fun to report on all the pranks, but easy to fall for them too. Memphis Made Brewing Co. sent out a now-infamous fake-news release declaring an “unofficial,” downright unholy partnership: “Memphis Made Brewing Co. is blending its flagship amber ale with the flavors of Taco Bell’s signature flavor of Mountain Dew.” (Insert barf emoji here). A story about this fictional abomination appeared briefly at The Daily Memphian website, and lives in Google’s memory. Links all lead to a 404 because it’s always April 1st on the internet.

Southern Lying

Dear Southern Living, Your Pesky Fly also enjoys the fine West Tennessee barbecue traditions showcased at Peg Leg Porker BBQ in Nashville and will happily forgive you for being off-your-nut wrong about picking it as the best in Tennessee if you’ll stop encouraging Kool-Aid pickles. Don’t @ me.

Dammit, Gannett

Dammit, Gannett. You did something incredibly cool — you created a digital investigative system for identifying state house bills taken from “model/copy-paste legislation.” That’s huge and amazing! Then a post about Nashville being on the “opposite” side of Tennessee from Memphis made your local product seem a little lost.

News The Fly-By

Centered

Post author By Maya Smith
Post date April 11, 2019

CREDIT: Maya Smith

Officials cut the ribbon last week on a new center for the victims of rape and other crimes.

Operating on three floors in a rehabbed county building at 1060 Madison, the Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center staffs victim advocates and counselors who provide comprehensive victim support with an array of services.

The new center is a rebranded version of the two agencies, Sandy Bromley, director of the center, said.

The Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center was formerly located on Madison about a mile away from its new home.

Bromley said the two agencies, which were previously separate entities, were combined about nine years ago, but were never rebranded as one “unified” resource.

Maya Smith

The new Shelby County Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center

“We are just excited to be able to rebrand under one unified name,” Bromley said. “We’re able to provide services in one safe place where victims can come. The minute you walk in the door, you see everything was intentionally designed to help with trauma. Even the colors are calming. We have lots of blues and yellows.”

Victims of any crimes such as sexual assault, rape, gun and domestic violence can receive support from the center.

Counselors help clients deal with trauma and develop coping skills, while victim advocates work to help clients figure out what their next step is. That could mean helping them get crime victim compensation, filing a protection order, or walking them through the court process.

Though the center is independent of law enforcement, Bromley said it often works with law enforcement and the courts. The decision to press charges or pursue other legal options is always left to the victim, Bromley said.

All of the services are free and confidential, Bromley said. Those seeking support can walk in during the center’s business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.) or call to make an appointment.

Working with other agencies and using DNA, the center also assists in solving rape cold cases, “giving victims a small bit of relief,” Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Monday.

Harris said that the center, “an impressive operation,” is doing “some of the most important work the country is involved in right now.

“In many ways, the Crime Victims & Rape Crisis Center is the centerpiece for all the various efforts in our community to provide assistance to survivors and their families,” Harris said.

The new space also allows for more space to meet with victims in private and more room to grow, as Bromley said the center is “constantly trying to make sure we are increasingly responsive to victims.”

Currently, the center serves about 650 victims each month and assists with close to 60 forensic exams or rape kits. Bromley said “we could always do more.

“We talk a lot in our community about crime rates, but we have to remember that every time we talk about a crime, a victim has been impacted by that crime,” Bromley said. “That’s why we’re here — to help with that impact.”

Cover Feature News

Let’s Get Together! Your 2019 Guide to the Mid-South’s Fairs & Festivals

Post author By Jesse Davis
Post date April 11, 2019

April

Overton Square Crawfish Festival

The crawfish, the crawdad, the humble mudbug has many names, but it’s something of a universal signifier of spring. Once the tents go up, the band strikes up, and the freshwater crustaceans get boiled, then spring has sprung in the South. This year, Midtown’s annual crawfish festival benefits A Betor Way foundation.

Overton Square, April 13th, noon-6 p.m. www.overtonsquare.com.

Overton Square Crawfish Festival

Southern Hotwing Festival

The 17th annual celebration of the chicken hot wing, the drummie, and everything in between. The festival is organized by nonprofit Wings Over Memphis and benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis. Tickets include three “wing bucks,” which enable ticket holders to sample three wings at the festival.

Tiger Lane, April 13th, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $10. www.southernhotwingfestival.com.

Southern Hotwing Festival

Southern Literary Festival
This festival dedicated to Southern literature was founded in 1937, and travels between different universities, which play host to it. This year’s edition, held at Christian Brothers University, boasts a packed lineup of guest speakers, readings, and Q&As. Author Chris Offutt is the keynote speaker. (For more information on the SLF, see my Books column on p. 36.)

Christian Brothers University, Thursday-Saturday, April 11th-13th.
www.southernliteraryfestival.org.

Kaleidoscope Food Festival

The Binghampton Development Corporation throws this third-annual festival to celebrate diversity in the Binghampton neighborhood, one of the most diverse in Memphis. The festival features multicultural chefs and entrepreneurs, as well as live performances and storytelling. Oh, and the whole thing happens at Wiseacre Brewing Co., so it’s a given that there will be plenty of great local beer on hand.

Wiseacre Brewing Company, April 13th, 1-5 p.m.

V & E Artwalk

The annual festival celebrating and raising funds for the quiet trail that runs through the Vollintine-Evergreen district is one of my favorite neighborhood festivals. There are food and beer vendors onsite, performances by local musicians, and rows and rows of artists’ and crafters’ booths, all in a tree-lined neighborhood park.

V&E Greenline, April 13th, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. www.vegreenline.com,

Lucero Family Block Party

Every spring, hometown heroes Lucero throw down in the heart of Midtown. As it does this year, the Block Party usually coincides with Record Store Day and a handful of other Memphis fairs and festivals, making it a great rock-and-roll start to the festival season. This year’s performance features special guests Blackberry Smoke, Will Hoge, Austin Lucas, Ben Abney and the Hurts, and the Mighty Souls Brass Band. May your beer stay cold, your Record Store Day bag stay full, and your ears be free of tinnitus.

Minglewood Hall, April 13th, $33-$151. www.minglewoodhall.com.

Nicole Kibert

Lucero Family Block Party

Mudbug Bash

Fifteenth annual crawfish festival, benefiting Palmer Home for Children. The bash features live music, all-you-can-eat crawfish, fare from DeSoto County’s best restaurants, a sponsor’s VIP section, and more.

Panola Street, Hernando, Mississippi, April 13th, 6-11 p.m.

Juke Joint Festival

Clarksdale comes alive for the Juke Joint Festival, an annual celebration of jukin’, jivin’, and raunchy blues and rock-and-roll. With 13 daytime venues and more than 20 participating venues after dark, it’s fair to say that the festival takes over the nearby Mississippi town for a raucous good time.

Various locations, Clarksdae, Mississippi, April 11th-14th. www.jukejointfestival.com.

Beale Street Wine Race

Irish novelist James Joyce was famously not much of one for exercise, but he said, “White wine is like electricity.” Hopefully wine can give the runners a jolt (and a buss) at this boozy foot race Downtown, in which local restaurants and bartenders compete for cash, prizes, and glory.

Downtown, April 14th, 1-4 p.m. Free.

Africa in April

This cultural awareness festival celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year. The festival highlights a different African country every year, and 2019’s festival salutes the Republic of Nigeria. It’s a family-friendly festival with live performances, food and merchandise vendors, and the annual International Diversity Parade.

Robert R. Church Park, April 19th-21st. www.africainapril.org.

Mid-South Hempfest

Sponsored by Whatever smoke shop, this heady festival is officially the biggest cannabis-centric event in the state of Tennessee. It’s an all-ages educational event to raise awareness about the benefits of cannabis, with over 90 vendors, live music, informational speakers, comedians, and an after party hosted by local hip-hop sensation Marco Pavé. Festival favorites Chinese Connection Dub Embassy headline the event.

The Greensward at Overton Park.
April 20th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Spirits & Soul Festival

This whiskey tour stops in Downtown Memphis for a weekend of tastings, meet-ups, and demonstrations dedicated to the most American of spirits.

Various locations, April 25th-27th.

Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival

Celebrating 27 years, this festival is all about crawfish. With crawfish eating, crawfish bobbing, and crawfish racing, the Rajun Cajun makes the most of the mud bug.

Downtown on Wagner Place and Riverside Drive, between Union and Beale, April 28th, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

May

Memphis Made May Day

Memphis Made hosts this event celebrating music, bikes, bees, and brews. As part of May Day, the Cooper-Young-area brewery is home this year to the arts and music festival Bristerfest and to the Tour de Coop bicycle tour, visiting beehives, community gardens, and chicken coops throughout the city.

Memphis Made Brewing Co., May 4th.

Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival

The Beale Street Music Festival, or simply “Music Fest,” as it’s usually called, is the reason for the season. Grab your poncho or grab your sunscreen. Rain or shine, the festival draws crowds of Memphians and Southerners to the banks of the Mississippi for three days of genre-spanning performances from up-and-comers, old favorites, and local legends. The Killers, Cardi B., Lord Huron, Gary Clark Jr., Bettye Lavette, and Levitt Shell alums St. Paul & the Broken Bones are just a handful of the performers this year. And the Gibson SG-wielding Liz Brasher, soul sensation William Bell, and ultimate groovers Southern Avenue are just a few examples of the impressive local talent on display. I’ll catch y’all at Tom Lee Park.

Tom Lee Park, May 3rd-5th.
www.memphisinmay.org.

Brandon Johnson

Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival

Memphis Greek Festival

The Greek Festival celebrates its 61st anniversary this year. Sixty-one years. And I thought the Flyer‘s 30 years were impressive (That’s right. Didn’t you see the tab on the cover?). That’s 61 years of dancing, cultural cuisine, the Kostas Kastanis Band, and more. If you haven’t checked out this little cultural festival tucked away off Highland near Summer, isn’t it about time you did? Donate three canned food items to the Mid-South Food Bank for free admission.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, May 10th-11th, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
www.memphisgreekfestival.com.

Memphis Margarita Festival

Guests can sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, vote on their favorite, and the Memphis Flyer will crown a winner at the end of this fest. Each ticket to the festival is good for 15(!) margarita samples, so it’s as close as Memphis gets to Margaritaville. Food will be available for purchase, and there will also be a cash bar with full-sized drinks available. This festival, held Downtown in Fourth Bluff Park, is guaranteed to be awesome squared, rimmed with salt, and served up chill.

Fourth Bluff Park, May 11th, $34.
www.memphismargaritafestival.com.

Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

It’s all about the party at Barbecue Fest. Seriously. The cooking is serious business, but for the pulled-pork pros competing in Barbecue Fest, the cooking is second nature. That means it’s important to tool up for the sauce-wrestling, the karaoke contests, and the drinking. And oh, lord, is there ever drinking. Pro tip: wolf down some ‘cue to soak up the suds, and try not to lose your flip-flop in the mud.

Tom Lee Park, May 15th-18th.
www.memphisinmay.org.

Celebrate Memphis

The folks at MiM put the tradition of honoring a foreign country on hold for the year, and are celebrating the Bluff City in honor of the city’s bicentennial. As part of the bicentennial festivities, MiM introduces a new event: Celebrate Memphis, honoring Memphis’ rich heritage and colorful history as we ring in a new century of soul.

Tom Lee Park, May 25th.
www.memphisinmay.org.

Memphis Italian Fest

With cooking demonstrations, bocce games, the Luigi 5K, and music from Ben Abney and the Hurts, Hope Clayborn and Soul Scrimmage, and more, there’s plenty to entertain at this cultural festival in East Memphis.

Marquette Park, May 30th-June 1st.
www.memphisitalianfestival.com.

Memphis Brewfest

Tenth annual Brewfest, with beer from dozens of local, regional, and national craft breweries. Hungry festival-goers can forage for something to soak up the beer at the food trucks onsite, like Central BBQ, New Wing Order, and Cousins Maine Lobster. Drunk Uncle performs.

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, May 11th, 4-7 p.m. $25-$100.

June

Juneteenth Urban Music Festival

The Juneteenth festival is an event that truly earns its slogan, “celebrating freedom.” Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., and every year, the Memphis edition of the festival is held Downtown in Robert R. Church Park, with musical performances, food, job fairs, kids talent contests, and the Ultimate Dance Showdown.
Robert R. Church Park, June 14th-16th. www.memphisjuneteenth.com.

July

WEVL Blues on the Bluff

Okay, full disclosure, I host My Morning Mixtape on WEVL, Memphis’ listener-supported radio station, so maybe I’m not the most impartial observer. But, that said, Blues on the Bluff is a party. And it’s not just the music. There’s a reason so many couples choose to get married at the Metal Museum. The grounds afford a sweeping view of the river and the bluffs, and old trees dot the lawn, offering shade. July, when Blues on the Bluff is usually held, is hot, but the wind off the river offers some relief. And last year, Memphis Made teamed up with WEVL to create a special edition version of Junt, the Midtown brewery’s cream ale, to celebrate the volunteer radio station’s biggest fund-raiser party. Oh, and then there’s the music. They don’t call it Blues on the Bluff for nothing.

The Metal Museum, date and time to be announced. www.wevl.org.

Memphis Flyer Burger Week

One of the best burgers I’ve ever had, I ate sitting on the tail of my uncle’s pickup truck, at a rodeo in White River, Arkansas. We were there to fish, not for the rodeo, but we’d gotten into town too late to eat anywhere but at the rodeo concession stand, the last place open at dusk in the sleepy town. I was theatrically starving, as only a 12-year-old on a fishing trip can be, and that burger, once I ate it, was 17 different kinds of satisfying. I’ve been chasing that same kind of burger high ever since, and Memphis Flyer Burger Week has offered my only way to come close to recapturing the beefy bliss of that rodeo burger. What really puts the carmelized onions on my bun, so to speak, are the $5.99 Burger Week prices. So, if you want to recapture your own slice of hamburger heaven, join me for some brand-new burgers and some old favorites all week long, at participating restaurants all over the Memphis area.

Various locations, July 10th-16th.
www.memphisflyerburgerweek.com.

Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis

Considering the time women spent excluded from theater in the early days of the art form, it’s about time that they had their own theater festival. And, good news. The Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis is now officially an annual occurrence. It’s four days of plays, readings, dance, and networking.

Various locations, July 11th-14th.
www.womenstfmemphis.org.

August

Elvis Week

Some readers may know about Elvis Aaron Presley’s identical twin brother, Jessie Garon Presley, who was delivered stillborn. Now, I don’t mean to suggest that my dad was too into Elvis, but my name is Jesse Aaron Davis. All that to say, I’m not entirely sure when I went to my first Elvis Week event, but I have vivid memories of watching concert and movie footage in big venues and tiny restaurants, and I’ve been to at least one Elvis laser light show at the Pink Palace planetarium. And all that was before the planetarium got a state-of-the-art overhaul, and the folks at Graceland built their entertainment complex. (It’s nice. They hosted the Flyer‘s Best of Memphis party two years ago.) And though I’m more of a Stax guy these days, I still love the way Memphis becomes Elvis-centric for a week. And I love the way Elvis fanatics from the world over converge on the Bluff City for special performances, Elvis film screenings, and the Candlelight Vigil.

Various locations, August 9th-17th.
www.graceland.com.

Memphis Bacon & Bourbon Festival

The Flyer‘s responsible for a lot of great things, but this pairing of bacon and bourbon has to be one of the best. Bourbon is strong and smoky; bacon is savory and smoky. They go together like peas in a pod, like crafts and drafts (but more on that later). The fourth-annual edition of the Flyer‘s Bacon & Bourbon Fest will contribute a portion of all proceeds to the Memphis Farmers Market. So, besides being a celebration of one of the tastiest pairings since peanut butter met chocolate, it’s a party for a good cause.

Beale Street Landing, August 24th, 6-9 p.m., $34. www.memphisbaconandbourbon.com.

Ostrander Awards

If a party keeps getting thrown year after year for 36 years, then it has to be doing something right, right? In that case, the Ostrander Awards, an annual celebration honoring the best in the local theater, are on a winning streak. Held at the Orpheum, usually on the last Sunday in August, the Ostranders are a Memphis theater tradition. Named after beloved Memphis theater icon Jim Ostrander, a long-standing member of the local theater community, these awards honor excellence in a variety of categories, in both the community theater division and the college theater division. All aspects of stage production will be recognized.

The Orpheum, August 25th, $15.
www.memphisostranders.com.

Delta Fair

The Sherman Brothers must have been thinking about the Delta Fair when they wrote that “a fair is a veritable smorgasbord.” With live music from rock to bluegrass, the Royal Hanneford Circus, fair food galore(!), livestock shows, competitions, and the Delta Dash 5K and 10K, the fair has something for everyone.

Agricenter International, August 30th-September 8th. www.deltafest.com.

September

30 Days of Opera

Month-long opera celebration with free events, including performances at the Levitt Shell, during the Central Gardens Home Tour, and during Cooper-Young Festival.
Various locations, September 1st-30th, www.operamemphis.org.
Germantown Festival

So you thought all the fun fairs were Downtown or in Midtown? Not so, Flyer-Friend. With the 48th(!) annual edition of this festival, Germantown gets in on the festival action. The G-town fest jump-starts the September season, as the festival season shakes off the mid-summer doldrums and kicks it into high gear for the home stretch. The Germantown festival boasts arts and crafts, a kids corner, an auto show, and probably the only weenie dog race in Memphis.

Germantown Civic Center Complex, September 7th-8th.
www.germantownfest.com.

Southern Heritage Classic

This weekend-long celebration is ostensibly about the football rivalry between Jackson State University and the Tennessee State, but there’s so much more going on. The Southern Heritage Classic is a cultural celebration, a tailgating extravaganza, and it’s jam-packed with food, live music, and more. Oh, and did we mention this year is the 30th anniversary of the festival? Oh, yeah.

Liberty Bowl, September 11th-14th.
www.southernheritageclassic.com.

Cooper-Young Festival

I live in the nearby Rozelle neighborhood, so Cooper-Young Fest is pretty much my home turf. And I love C-Y Fest for the food, the friends I unexpectedly bump into, and the live music. And to me, this neighborhood festival always marks the change from summer to autumn. It’s usually a sunny affair, the summer’s last hurrah. And though I court heat stroke every year, there’s something kind of nice about that.

Cooper-Young District, September 14th, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. www.cooperyoungfestival.com.

Mid-South Fair

Okay, so it’s not exactly cool in Memphis in late September, but the cool weather is on the way and there’s just something right about the lights and smells and sounds of a fair on an early autumn night. With live music, fair food, and rides and lights to spare, the Mid-South Fair is just the kind of fair I’m dreaming of.

Landers Center, September 19th-29th, www.midsouthfair.com.

Mid-South Pride Festival

One of the most fun gigs I ever played was at the Mid-South Pride Festival, about five years ago. The weather was mild, the lawn of the FedExForum was a riot of color, and the crowd seemed happy to dance. Best of all, there was an undeniable feeling of goodwill in the air. And though I haven’t been back to Pride Fest in some years, I imagine that feeling of goodwill is pretty much standard for the festival. As if that’s not enough, there’s a parade, vendors, and live music.

Downtown, September 28th.
www.midsouthpride.org.

Gonerfest 16

I discovered one of my new favorite bands at Gonerfest 15, last year’s edition of Goner Records’ annual festival celebrating alternative music. The band in question, French garage-rockers En Attendant Ana, played the penultimate show of their first U.S. tour at the Hi-Tone, and their harmonies, tasteful trumpet licks, and alternatingly crunchy and jangly guitar riffs hooked me. After their set, I interviewed members of the band in the alley behind the Hi-Tone, around the corner from a homemade barbecue cooker hitched to the back of a pickup truck. Smells of cooked meat wafted into the alley; bass throbbed through the walls of the venue. That year, I also saw people crowdsurf to the ecstatic yet haunting sounds of L.A. synth rockers Cobra Man. I heard Harlan T. Bobo play an intimate acoustic set and a barn-burning full-band set. I saw Bênní make talk boxes look cool. And if that doesn’t make you excited for Gonerfest 16, I’m not even sure it’s worth mentioning Lydia Lunch, Aquarian Blood, or Memphis Made’s special edition, Gonerfest commemorative beer.

Various locations, September 26th-29th. www.goner-records.com.

Gonerfest 16

Mid-South International Festival

This festival celebrates the multitude of cultures that mix and mingle in Memphis. With great food, music, and performances representing various cultures, there’s something on offer at this festival for just about everyone.
Railgarten, September 29th.

Memphis Japan Festival

The cherry trees lining the streets make the Botanic Garden an ideal spot for the Memphis Japan Festival, a celebration of Japanese culture. The festival presents Memphians with a family-friendly, hands-on way to experience Japanese culture, with food, music, entertainment, martial arts, and more.

Memphis Botanic Garden, September 29th.

Outflix Film Festival

This film festival is a celebration of film and LGBTQ culture and art. Founded by Brian Pera in 1992, Outflix has come a long way since it was housed in the University of Memphis psychology department and called Twinkie Museum: First Annual Queer Experimental Film Festival.
Various locations, dates to be announced. www.outflixfestival.org.

October

Pink Palace Crafts Fair

With great food, handcrafted goods, craft demonstrations, and a petting zoo and train for the kids, the annual Pink Palace Crafts Fair makes for an ideal daytime date, just in time for autumn weather.
Audubon Park, October 11th-13th.
www.memphismuseums.org.
Agricenter Harvest Festival

The 16th annual Harvest Festival is the quintessential fall festival, with pumpkin-painting, hayrides, arts and crafts, and a bluegrass band.

Agricenter International, October 19th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.agricenter.org.

Cooper-Young Beerfest

The participating breweries for the 10th annual C-Y Beerfest haven’t been announced yet, but judging by the long list of brewers from 2018, there look to be plenty of options for the discerning beer nerd. And since the proceeds benefit the Cooper-Young Community Association, it’s a drink for a good cause.

Midtown Autowerks, Saturday, October 19th, 1-5 p.m. $45-$50. www.cybeerfest.org.

MEMPHOFest

I spoke with Mike Smith, who’s overseeing MEMPHOFest, Memphis’ new(ish) music festival. Smith couldn’t say much about the lineup yet, but he’s excited about MEMPHO’s role in the Bluff City. “We feel like we have a cool little niche we’re trying to fill,” Smith says. “We try to be on the cutting edge of booking artists, in all demographics — rock, hip-hop, Americana.” When I complimented Smith on the festival’s inclusion of local talent — I’m thinking Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, Cory Branan, and Boo Mitchell, for starters — he said his childhood in Memphis influences the booking decisions. “Growing up in Memphis, there’s so much great talent around us,” Smith says. “It would be horrible not to take advantage of that.” But Smith plays his cards close to the chest. When pressed about this year’s performers, all he says is, “We’re finalizing the lineup.”

Shelby Farms Park, October 19th-20th. www.memphofest.com.

Eric Allen

MEMPHOFest

Memphis Tequila Festival

There are a handful of songs about tequila, but most of them either have no lyrics or are super depressing (I’m looking at you, Eagles). So let me just say that with DJs, spooky face painting, a costume photo booth, and samples from more than 30(!) different types of tequila, the Memphis Flyer‘s Tequila Fest is a party to get anyone in the spirit of the season. Each ticket purchaser will be able to choose 15 tequilas to sample from. Proceeds benefit Volunteer Memphis, so every sip counts.

Overton Square, October 25th, $34.
www.memphistequilafestival.com.

RiverArtsFest

RiverArtsFest is an art walk, a street festival, and an educational opportunity all rolled up in one. The festival’s website claims it’s the largest outdoor juried artist market and urban street fair in the Mid-South, and with more than 180 contributing artists, live music, and demonstrations and hands-on activities, that’s a fair claim to make. And being a stone’s throw from the Mississippi in the usually gorgeous last week of October certainly contributes to the romance and scenery factors.

Riverside Drive, between Jefferson and Beale, October 26th-27th.
www.riverartsmemphis.org.

Indie Memphis Film Fest

In an email exchange with Indie Memphis Executive Director Ryan Watt, I gushed about some of my favorite moments from previous festivals (Boots Riley hosting screenings of Brazil and Sorry to Bother You, and a showing of Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me come to mind). Watt, however, was professional, and did his best to respond to my excitement with some actual information about this year’s edition of the ever-growing film festival. “We recently closed submissions to our Black Filmmaker Residency in Screenwriting. Barry Jenkins [who directed 2017 Best Picture winning Moonlight] is selecting two winners to develop screenplays of feature films to shoot in Memphis; they will participate in the festival events,” Watt told me via email.

Watt added that Indie Memphis is reprising last year’s successful Black Creators Forum, “to continue building support for black artists interested in working in film. This is an interdisciplinary event for black musicians, writers, and designers alongside the filmmakers to encourage collaborations.” Watt stressed that, though there are always some showings from the film world’s underground, the festival is for everyone: “The main thing we want the community to know is the festival is accessible and a lot of fun. Some people may have a perception that it is only for the film industry, and that is not the case.”

Various locations. October 30th-November 4th. www.indiememphis.com.

Indie Memphis Film Fest

November

Memphis Parent School Expo

Parents, save the date for this inclusive School Expo presented by Memphis Parent magazine.

Meet face-to-face with school staff, see informational videos, and pick up take-home materials for planning your child’s education.

Memphis Botanic Garden, November 2nd. Free. www.memphisparentschoolexpo.com.

Crafts & Drafts

At Crafts & Drafts last year, I caught up with a friend who works at Crosstown Arts, drank a tasty craft beer, got my photo taken by Michael Donahue (and shared on his Instagram page, @flyerdonahue), and not only all that, I bought a lovely handmade coffee cup. Mark that down as a big, ol’ score in my book. Oh, and before exploring the arts fair, I ate a burger from Farm Burger in Crosstown. Now, I can’t guarantee that you’ll have exactly the same excellent experience that I did, but isn’t it worth a shot? You’re not going to get your photo taken by Michael Donahue by staying home and sitting on the couch.

Crosstown Concourse Patio, November 9th. Free. www.memphiscraftsanddrafts.com.

Seasonal

Levitt Shell Live Music Series

The Levitt Shell’s website says, on white text set against a dancing flower, that the lineup for this year’s free concert series will be announced April 26th. To say that I’m excited is to indulge a gross understatement. The Shell’s free concert series is a seasonal staple. Overton Park sits in the center of the city, biking distance from many folks. The Shell’s amphitheater shape, serious sound upgrades in recent years, and all those soundwave-absorbing park trees make for a concert series that can achieve acoustic bliss. Each season’s programming spans genres, bringing a diverse array of artists to the Bluff City, total music nerd nirvana. And did I mention it’s free? Or at least pay what you can, and for the level of community entertainment the folks at the Shell are offering, I’m always happy to toss a few dollars into the donation buckets when they make their rounds. So, yeah, I’m excited.

Overton Park, dates and times to be announced. Free. www.levittshell.org.

The Peabody Rooftop Series

The Peabody has been steadily racking up wins for Best People-Watching in the Flyer‘s yearly Best of Memphis competition, which makes their spring and summer Rooftop Series a go-to stop for live music, views of the Mississippi, and party vibes.

The Peabody, Sundays through August 15th.

River Series at Harbor Town Amphitheatre

This Goner Records-sponsored music series has already kicked off, but there are still a couple of events. On April 28th, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, of Wilco and the Memphis-based Mellotron Variations fame, will perform. Memphis garage-rock legend Alicja Trout opens. And on May 19th, Obruni Dance Band and Yazan will perform. Proceeds benefit the Maria Montessori School. (For more information on the River Series, see Flyer music editor Alex Greene’s post in the Music Blog on www.memphisflyer.com.)

Harbor Town Amphitheatre, seasonal. www.riverseries.org.

Time Warp Drive-In

It’s no secret that I love the Time Warp. No, not the song from Rocky Horror Picture Show (Well, yes, the song from Rocky Horror, too), but the monthly cult cinema celebration at Malco’s Summer Drive-In. The series started this year with the annual “Soul Cinema” night in February, and March saw the “Back to the Back to the Future” night, a screening of the entire Future trilogy, but the series runs for the rest of the year. The next screening is April 20th, with “Don’t You Forget About Me: The Teen Films of John Hughes.”

Malco Summer Drive-In, monthly, $10. www.malco.com.

Tags Guide to Mid-South Fairs and Festivals 2019, Jesse Davis

Politics Politics Feature

Shelby County Democrats: The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. Again.

Post author By Jackson Baker
Post date April 11, 2019

CREDIT: Jackson Baker

In August, 2016, Tennessee Democratic Party chair Mary Mancini announced that the state party executive committee had voted to disband the Shelby County Democratic Party, a hopelessly fractious organization that, as Mancini noted, had experienced “many years of dysfunction.”

One year later, in August 2017, a reconstituted local party took shape at a convention that crowned months of focus-group activity in tandem with the state party. Corey Strong, a Shelby County Schools administrator and a military reservist, was elected chair of a new body that possessed both an executive committee and a larger “grassroots” council.

Coupled with the revived Democratic activism that, in Memphis as elsewhere, fueled a “resistance” movement to President Donald Trump, the moment looked promising indeed for local Democrats.

But now, a year and a half later, in the aftermath of party successes at the ballot box in 2018 and on the threshold of a presidential election year, the Shelby County Democratic Party is freshly riven by a dispute that seemingly has racial overtones but may actually be the consequence of warring ambitions and an internal power struggle.

Months ago, Strong had indicated that he would not seek re-election, and for a long time only one potential successor made his leadership desires public. This was Jeff Etheridge, a retired businessman (Dilday’s TV Sales and Service) and an activist who had pulled his oar in many a party drive and political campaign.

Jackson Baker

Michael Harris for the (self-)defense.

Etheridge’s home base was the Germantown Democratic Club, a racially diverse organization whose membership encompassed large sectors of Shelby County well beyond the enclaves of East Memphis and the county’s eastern suburbs. More than most Democratic groups, it had been responsible for organizing the Shelby County party effort, from the reactivation effort onward. Its president, David Cambron, had, with his wife Diane and other core members, taken the lead in making sure the party had a full roster of candidates in the 2018 election.

But there were other party power centers, as well. One of them was the Young Democrats of Shelby County, a group that tilted more toward the urban precincts of Midtown and the inner city. Its president, Danielle Inez, had been Lee Harris‘ campaign manager during Harris’ successful 2018 campaign for Shelby County mayor, and she had become his primary assistant in the reconstituted county government, someone hugely influential in staffing and logistical decisions.

Inez and the YDs were also feeling their oats and looking to make further contributions. They cast about for one of their own to bear the hopes of the younger generation for party leadership, and — for reasons best known to them — settled on one Michael Harris, a young man who had taken an active role in party outreach activities.

Those were the two known candidates when the party met Saturday before last at White Station High School to hold its preliminary caucuses for the convention to be held this past Saturday. In the nomination process other names were put forward — Erica Sugarmon and Allan Creasy, two impressive candidates from the blue wave year of 2018 — but these nominees withdrew, leaving only Etheridge and Harris.

There matters stood until the beginning of last week, when Etheridge began communicating with party leaders, complaining of “pressures” and stress he was getting from backers of Harris — some of it, he indicated, with racial overtones (Etheridge is white, Harris black). He had meant to be a unifying force, not a divisive one, he told his auditors, and he saw his opportunity to build bridges being undermined by a whisper campaign.

Jackson Baker

Harris supporter Danielle Inez and nay-voter David Upton muse over the outcome.

Simultaneously, word was getting out about difficulties Harris had experienced as a young and inexperienced lawyer.

As it turned out, there was evidence on the public record that in June 2017 Harris had been suspended for five years from his legal practice by the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee. He was accused by the board of “lack of diligence and communication, excessive fees, improper termination, failure to expedite litigation, failure to perform services for which he was paid, unauthorized practice of law, dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.”

As a precondition to consideration of listing his suspension, the board ordered Harris to “make restitution” in the total amount of $22,975 to nine clients whose cases he was considered to have mishandled.

Knowledge of these facts emerged more or less at the same time that word of Etheridge’s withdrawal was getting out. On Wednesday of last week, which was the formal deadline for any post-caucus applications of candidacy, news was put out that two Memphis state representatives, London Lamar and Raumesh Akbari, had filed petitions to run for local party chair. Both were well-regarded young African Americans, seen as scandal-free legislative stars with wide appeal to all segments of the party.

Later Wednesday, stories were hitting the state media to the effect that Lamar had become the consensus choice. In actual fact, both she and Akbari had been desperation hotbox choices and would end up declining to pursue the chairmanship, pleading the press of business in Nashville. That objection was on the level, as anyone who has seen the demanding legislative process at first-hand can attest, but the swirls of internal discontent in Shelby County party circles had become all too obvious by now and were clearly another factor.

During the brief period when Lamar’s name was being floated as a consensus choice, Harris was confronted by party elders (former chairman David Cocke and Shelby County Commission chair Van Turner among them) who suggested that he yield the chairmanship to Lamar, thereby saving himself and the party the obvious public embarrassment that would come at Republican hands when his background was publicly vetted, as inevitably it would be.

In appreciation of his own efforts and ambition, Harris, now working as a compliance officer for Advance Primary Care, might serve for a year as a party vice chair, using that interval to make amends for his legal derelictions and refurbish his personal credentials. Harris said he’d think about it. He thought about it, said no, and meanwhile so did Lamar and Akbari.

That was the background of events going into Saturday’s party convention at Lindenwood Christian Church. As an ironic complement to the confusion, the party had agreed weeks earlier to conduct the chairmanship vote by the process of Ranked Choice Voting, a method of resolving multi-candidate races by reassigning the votes of trailing candidates in subsequent rounds of recalculation.

Given the fact of there being only one candidate (Harris), it was hard to see how the method of RCV could be applied, but Aaron Fowles, a local adherent of the process, provided a methodology which was announced to the voting membership by outgoing chairman Strong. Inasmuch as RCV (also known as IRV, for “instant runoff voting”) required that a winner ultimately receive 50 percent of the vote “plus one,” Harris, as the sole nominee, would be matched against votes for “none of the above.”

Should Harris be outvoted by that formulation, it was agreed beforehand, Strong would continue to serve as party chairman until a new convention (hopefully, one with multiple candidates) could be held.

Those were the circumstances when what seemed an artificially relaxed buffet feed was concluded, and the delegates elected a week earlier at White Station filed into the church sanctuary, accompanied by a fair number of curious onlookers.

Harris had arrived late and had worked the crowd. Now it was his time to take the stage and face the voters and the accusations that hung over him.

He began with the device that might have been expected. “Those of you who have never made a mistake, raise your hands,” he asked. Unsurprisingly, there were no takers. He then went on to give a brief bio of his life, admitting at this point, without specifying, that he had made his share of mistakes, and exhorting his audience to think in terms of unity. “We shouldn’t be turning on each other,” he said. “We should be turning up the heat on the Republicans.”

Harris said he took responsibility for his actions and cited his generally creditable past performance as vice chair of the party’s outreach efforts. Still, he faced questions. How many elections had he voted in, he was asked. He could not recall in any detail, but said, “I’m an active voter now.” Inevitably, the questions came about his legal issues.

Asked how much money was still owed to the past clients, Harris was vague on the amount and slow to acknowledge that much, perhaps most, of what had been dispensed was paid out by the Tennessee Lawyers Fund for Client Protection or other legal-support organizations. The bottom line: He would still need to compensate the organizations that made the payments.

“I am not a thief!” Harris insisted, despite the fact that misappropriations of his clients’ money was one of the prime allegations against him.

“He has paid his dues,” said supporter George Boyington. Inez praised Harris’ “courage” and what she considered the deftness of his responses, though others, like Danielle Schoenbaum, one of the party’s corps of surprisingly effective suburban legislative candidates in 2018, didn’t think as highly of them: “2020 is very important,” Schoenbaum said. “If you put self first, before party, you’re not fit to be chair.” It was a theme expressed by others, as well.

And there was the matter of the detailed evidence against Harris. One speaker noted that people had been foreclosed on and lost their homes because of his ineffective or even nonexistent representation.

Inevitably, in days to come, pages from the case reports against Harris would surface. As one summary said, “Mr. Harris repeatedly took money but did not provide the most basic of services. He took desperate clients, who came to him as a last hope, and did nothing for them. It is not that he took difficult clients and fought the good fight but lost. He took people’s money and did not complete the most basic of tasks. He did not respond to basic discovery requests or summary judgments (ever). He literally did not fight at all.”

Interestingly, given the job to which Harris was aspiring, that of leader and figurehead of one of the county’s two major political parties, the opposing lawyer in several of the cases for which Harris was cited by the Board of Professional Responsibility was one Lang Wiseman, a former county Republican chairman and current deputy governor of Tennessee. This fact underscores the truism that none of Michael Harris’ legal misadventures are unlikely to remain unknown in the public circles he will inhabit as a party chair.

And a party chair he is, as of Saturday. Of the 76 eligible Democratic voters present, 72 actually cast ballots, and Michael Harris received 37 of those votes, versus 35 for “none of the above.” He had received precisely 50 percent plus one — the bare minimum needed for election.

Harris’ supporters are optimistic that he can unify his party and lead it to a victorious election year in 2020. His detractors fear the worst, a public catastrophe and implosions yet to be imagined. And the state party, having interceded so dramatically in 2016, is not in the best position to do so again.

Chairman Harris and his executive committee will be meeting again soon to determine who the rest of the party’s officers will be. That’s the next round of decisions that will loom large in the Shelby County Democratic Party’s future.

Tags Danielle Inez, Danielle Shoenbaum, Lang Wiseman, Lee Harris, Michael Harris, Shelby County Democratic Party

Editorial Opinion

Spring “Blessings” from Our Lawmakers

Post author By
Post date April 11, 2019

CREDIT: REUTERS | Leah Millis

Spring has come, if you can call it that, what with the more-than-occasional nippy morning, the on-again, off-again temperatures that have been confusing dogwoods’ attempts to blossom, and the sporadic rainy torrents that somehow still feel more wintry than not.
Even so, let us count our current seasonal blessings. The document that presumably contains the truth about some alarming allegations against our president (the so-called Mueller Report) remains a distant, inaccessible mystery under the misleading cover of a four-page attorney general’s gloss. Meanwhile, that president is free to resume his assaults on human dignity, including, reportedly, a new plan by his dead-eyed special assistant Stephen Miller to resume separating children from their immigrant parents along our southern border. (Emma Lazarus and her do-goody inscription on the Statue of Liberty to “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” be damned).

REUTERS | Leah Millis

Stephen Miller

And, as if to spread the blessings of Trumpism to those of us who are native-born, the president continues to vow to kill off entirely the Affordable Care Act, which he has so far only managed to cripple or inconvenience, here and there. Never mind the consequences for those rascals among us who have been blessed hitherto by the ACA’s coverage of pre-existing conditions. They can make do, as before — with thoughts and prayers.
There are developments on our state government front, too. Among the bills that have been hurtling toward passage in these last few weeks of the 2019 General Assembly are measures to impose a new state charter-school commission (read: bureaucracy) with the ability to override the wishes of local school boards on charter-school applications; state grants for parents to use in private Tennessee schools, called “education savings account” rather than the justly tarnished term “vouchers,” so as to confuse diehard defenders of public school education; a variety of anti-abortion measures, all anticipating that Trump judicial appointees will at some point achieve the specific gravity needed to ward off judgments of unconstitutionality; more end-run attempts to keep transgenders out of gender-specific restrooms; a bill permitting teachers with carry permits to take their guns to school; and one would-be constitutional amendment attributing all these and other splendors of man’s domain and God’s universe to, well, God.

The legislator who gave us this last one is an East Tennessee guy named James, though he calls himself Micah, after the prophet, something he would have us believe was a suggestion emanating from his personal pipeline to the almighty.

Maybe we expect too much and are ungrateful to the point of ignoring our real blessings like the ongoing presence of spring football and that avatar of the sport known as Johnny Manziel. Wait. It’s over with already? Oh, well, at least it’s stopped raining. Sort of.

Tags immigration policy, Memphis spring, Stephen Miller, Tennessee General Assembly

News News Blog

Memphis Pets of the Week (April 11-17)

Post author By Susan Ellis
Post date April 10, 2019

Each week, the Flyer will feature adoptable dogs and cats from Memphis Animal Services. All photos are credited to Memphis Pets Alive. More pictures can be found on the Memphis Pets Alive Facebook page.

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Tags Memphis Animal Services, Memphis Pets Alive, Wag Along Tuesday

News News Blog

MATA Head:Trolleys Have Set Stage For Success in First Year

Post author By Maya Smith
Post date April 10, 2019

In three weeks, it will have been one year since the Main Street trolley line has been revived, and the head of the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) said it’s met nearly all expectations so far.

President and CEO of MATA, Gary Rosenfeld said since the steel-wheel trolleys returned to the tracks after a four-year absence, there have been no real issues with the line. The five-car system has been running “smoothly” — other than one trolley car that hasn’t been able to be revived and put into service yet, he said.

“All and all the system is running pretty well for what we’ve been through,” he said. “It’s setting the stage for future successful years of service.”

The main issue is keeping those using the trolleys and those around it safe, Rosenfeld said. One precaution he advises pedestrians on the Main Street Mall to take is to avoid wearing headphones while walking near the trolley tracks: “We want everybody to be safe.”

There are red and white signs on the Mall instructing pedestrians to yield for the trolleys.

Ridership has been as expected, Rosenfeld said.There have been approximately 372,000 boardings since the service was reinstated on April 30th of last year.

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Rosenfeld said that number is in the “range of expectation,” and that he anticipates it rising in the summer months.

“We’ve certainly had respectable ridership,” Rosenfeld said. “It’s demonstration that the Main Street line is viable and that more lines will be viable in the future. The community has accepted the trolleys.”

As for the future, Rosenfeld said the goal is to bring back the Madison and Riverfront lines at some point. However, he said MATA has had trouble securing a vendor for trolley parts. That’s a “critical point in the flow chart,” Rosenfeld said.

“Until we get passed that critical point in flow chart, we’re not going to go one way or another,” Rosenfeld said. “The cars have to be refurbished or we’ll find some other method.The critical issue with the trolleys since the beginning of the recertification process has been safety.

“We’re not willing to compromise safety and we’re not going to sign a contract for the sake of signing a contract.”

Tags Gary Rosenfeld, MATA, Trolleys

Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Phillip Ashley Chocolates Opens Saturday

Post author By Susan Ellis
Post date April 10, 2019

On Saturday, chocolatier Phillip Ashley Rix will unveil his latest shop, Phillip Ashley Chocolates at 1200 Madison in the Medical District.

The space is significantly bigger than the Cooper-Young shop, with an expansive kitchen in the back, big enough to host chocolate making classes come summer.

“We needed the space to grow,” explains Rix.

Rix is a self-taught chocolatier who launched his business in 2012. Part of the appeal of his chocolates were the unique ingredients — sweet potato! — and another was the beauty of his product — pretty gem shapes with airbrushed lines and splatters. Rix was also savvy in pursuing partnerships with area chefs and events like the Grammys and the Oscars. He’s also built quite a business in supplying businesses — FedEx, ServiceMaster among them — with chocolates for employee and client gifts.

Rix says the place was no more than a two walls and a bare floor when he first saw it. Today, it is an airy spot with a long counter topped with Rix’ treats. At front, there are a few tables to encourage guests to stop for a coffee or tea, which the shop will offer. (Rix sees this as a cafe.)

Along one wall are shelves. The bottom few will feature goods from mostly local African-Americans purveyors. Items such as Pop’s Kernal Popcorn and Beneva Mayweather rolls will be included. Rix also plans collaborations with such businesses as Sweet Magnolia gelato.

Art will be shown on a rotation. Right now, it’s the work of Danny Broadway, a longtime friend of Rix.

The store will sell its 24 signature flavors — French blue cheese, bourbon and fig, and sweet potato are a few. There will also be the Memphis collection — 12 pieces that sum up Memphis in a bite. We’re talking sweet tea lemon, peanut butter and banana, and barbecue, of course. There’s also one Rix named Hot Buttered Soul (!).

Rix is encouraged by all the traffic; some 24,000 cars pass by in a day. He says people have been stopping by already, though they aren’t open yet. Indeed, two such folks came in during our interview.

In addition to the new shop, Rix will introduce a monthly chocolate subscription service on Saturday. It’s $49 per month, with six chocolates per package. “It’s for the chocolate person,” says Rix.

Grand opening is Saturday, April 13th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individual chocolates will be sold for $2 each.

Tags Medical District, Phillip Ashley Chocolate, Phillip Rix