Month: November 2019

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Blues on Beale: Grizzlies Lose to Jazz 103-94

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Memphis Grizzlies suffered their sixth straight defeat, losing to the Utah Jazz on Friday night, 103–94. The Grizzlies’ last win was against those same Jazz on Nov 15th at FedExForum before a national TV audience in the teams’ first matchup. Memphis is now 5–13 on the year. 

Utah outscored Memphis 63–39 in the second half, after the Grizzlies led 55-40 at the half. The Grizzlies shot 45.7 percent in the first half, but the Jazz held them to 33.3 percent shooting in the second half. The Jazz scored 12 straight points to open the third quarter. 

Third-quarter woes continue to plague Memphis early in the season. “We didn’t do what we needed to do in the third quarter, because we let them come out and punch us early and we didn’t respond,” said Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson, Jr. “Credit to them. They were active on the glass, actively just making the right plays, hitting a lot of shots, but we have to know that that’s coming. Especially because we played well in the first half.”

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins didn’t mince words after the game. He said, “Great first half, terrible second half . Credit the Jazz. They came and played a whole lot harder than us in the third quarter, and that’s why they won the ball game.”

Jenkins described how the Jazz set the tone for the second half, “We turned over the first possession. We gave up an offensive rebound. They scored. We controlled the boards in the first half, and then the next possession, they go down and miss a wide-open layup in transition —  get an offensive rebound, put it in, call timeout, come out and continue to get offensive rebounds. I think they had [13] second-chance points in the second half or something along those lines. It’s been a weakness of ours. We just didn’t come ready to play in the third quarter, and they took full advantage of it.”

“We came out with a sense of urgency,” said Utah guard Donovan Mitchell. “We knew we were better than what we showed. So, for us, it was just continuing to battle. It helps when Bojan [Bogdanovic] gets hot. Mike [Conley] made some crucial plays. Royce [O’Neale] had defensive stops, and we all did our best to do our part.”

Difficulties maintaining leads

For the sixth time this season, the Grizzlies blew a double-digit lead — the most in the NBA.

“We just have to execute,” said Jackson. “We have to continue to do the things that we were doing and expect the team to play harder, but we can’t expect them to bring the same energy or drop their energy because they’re losing. They probably got ripped at halftime. They’re probably feeling a type of way, and they’re probably getting amped up. We have to come out there and make sure we deliver.”

Sharon Brown


Playing with the same energy a full 48 minutes

“We have to play all four quarters like we did in the first half,” said rookie guard Ja Morant. “It helped us get out to a bigger lead, I think like 15 points. We just have to do that all four quarters.”

Energy and effort may be an issue. Morant said of the second half, “It was us — high energy just died down and they just took advantage of it.”

“I feel like it was just us mainly coming out in the third quarter with a lack of energy, lack of focus and they capitalized on that,” said Grizzlies rookie forward Brandon Clarke. 

The Grizzlies can’t win when Morant and Jackson combine for 7-of 26 from the field. Morant ended the game with 11 points (4-of-13) and four assists. Jackson chipped in nine points (3-of-13) and four assists plus four blocks. With his fourth block, he reached 100 career blocks and became the third-fastest player in franchise history to tally 100 career blocks, behind only Pau Gasol and Roy Rogers.

For the second consecutive game, Jonas Valanciunas was the Grizzlies high scorer with 22 points and 17 rebounds. He posted his 11th double-double of the season. 

Sharon Brown

Jonas Valanciunas

Clarke tallied 13 points off the bench and went 5-of-6 from the field. Clarke has a 64.3 percent field goal percentage this season.

Utah’s Bojan Bogdanovic tied his season-high with 33 points while shooting 12-of-20 from the field (4–8 from three). He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, while Rudy Gobert notched his 11th double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Sunday. Tip-off at 2:30 pm, CST. 

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

#17 Tigers 34, #18 Cincinnati 24

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

When Memphis beat SMU at the Liberty Bowl four weeks ago, it felt like the biggest win in the history of the football program. Turns out, that game will go into the books as the Tigers’ second-biggest win this month.

Larry Kuzniewski

Brady White

Friday afternoon at the Liberty Bowl, the 17th-ranked Tigers used some offensive trickery — and capitalized on a late Bearcat infraction — to clinch a third straight American Athletic Conference West Division title, reach 11 wins in a season for the first time, and notch the 500th win in program history. Now 11-1, the Tigers will host Cincinnati (10-2) again next Saturday (December 7th) in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

Mike Norvell opened his postgame press conference by acknowledging the achievement(s) today, but noting there is more ahead for his fourth Memphis team: “The stage. All that was in front of us. To win our third consecutive West Division title. That’s pretty remarkable. Not many programs can do that, especially as talented as the conference and division were this year. Now we get a chance to host the conference championship. It’s going to be a great opportunity for all involved. It’s a team with tremendous heart, tremendous character. Our guys have prepared at an extremely high level all season. We’re looking forward to the opportunity next week.”

Merely minutes after joining his classmates in a pregame Senior Day salute, Chris Claybrooks took the opening kickoff 94 yards to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead. It was an opening punch that brought the crowd of 36,472 to a volume normally heard late in the fourth quarter of home victories. And but the first of the memorable plays that swung this game in the Tigers’ favor.

After Cincinnati closed the lead to 7-3 with a 30-yard field goal by Sam Crosa, Memphis marched 77 yards and put another touchdown on the board, this time on a nine-yard pass from Brady White to senior Kedarian Jones. When Riley Patterson split the uprights from 34 yards five minutes later, the Tigers had a 17-3 lead before the first quarter expired.

But the Bearcats dominated the second quarter as much as Memphis did the first. Quarterback Ben Bryant — starting in place of Desmond Ridder, who’s nursing a shoulder injury — led touchdown drives that chewed up  4:59 and 6:31 to tie the game at 17 with just under three minutes to play in the first half. An acrobatic catch-and-run by Damonte Coxie set up the Tigers’ final score before halftime, a 28-yard Patterson field goal that put Memphis up 20-17 at the break.

Neither team scored in the third quarter despite the Tigers twice forcing Cincinnati turnovers. Each team failed to convert on a fourth-and-short attempt, leaving the margin at three points entering the final period.

With the ball at the Cincinnati 46-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Norvell called a play he’d added to the Tigers’ arsenal merely two weeks ago, one Coxie only knows by its signal from the sideline. White took the snap, handed the ball to Patrick Taylor who, as he crossed toward the right sideline, shoveled the ball to Jones (crossing the opposite way), who then flipped it backward to White. White saw Coxie downfield, heaved the ball toward his favorite target, and saw Coxie come down with the reception just inside the end zone.

“You never know how the defense is going to play [on a call like that],” said White. “We repped it a lot. Coxie is the first look, but we were expecting other options to be open. I saw that he had a good jump on his man. I put it up for my guy, and he made a good play.”

Larry Kuzniewski

Mike Norvell

“Coach told us we were gonna get a lot of one-on-one, and we gotta win ’em,” said Coxie. “I saw that [the cornerback] was playing me outside, and I knew the play. Brady told me earlier that he was gonna come to me. He gave me a chance, and I made a play for him.” Coxie finished the game 145 yards on six catches and is now just 21 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.

The Bearcats scored on their ensuing possession, a 12-yard touchdown run by Bryant closing the Memphis lead to 27-24. Cincinnati regained possession on an interception of White (by Ahmad Gardner), but the Tiger defense held, with a key sack by Joseph Dorceus forcing a punt. (The Memphis defense accumulated 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including five sacks of Bryant.)

The game’s decisive play occurred with five minutes left on the clock, when Bearcat defensive end Myjai Sanders drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct after a third-down incompletion appeared to end a Tiger drive in Cincinnati territory. Moments later, Antonio Gibson — another honored senior — took a hand-off and scampered 29 yards into the end zone for the final points of the game.

“You can’t be a great team if you just have a good side of the ball, or a few good players,” said Norvell. “You gotta work together, and put yourselves in a position to be successful. We started the season with a game that ended 15-10. The last five [games], we’ve scored over 40 points. All phases had to show up and show out for us to beat a top-20 team.”

White completed 15 of 26 passes for 233 yards and the two touchdown passes (giving him 32 for the season, second only to Riley Ferguson’s 38 in 2017). Kenneth Gainwell led the Tigers’ ground attack, rushing for 87 yards on 15 carries. The Tigers prevailed despite Cincinnati holding a possession edge of nearly nine minutes.

When asked about facing the same team two weeks in a row, Norvell emphasized his program’s self-reflection in game-planning: “Our message has never been about our opponent. It’s about ourselves.” Added White, “It comes down to executing our game plan. It’s very unique. I think it’s cool. We’ll be ready to go.”

“We’ve never talked about championships,” said Norvell. “Our objective is to get one-percent better every day. We want to celebrate [the division title], but we’re not done yet. I believe in the football team we have. We want to lift a trophy next week, and we have to correct some mistakes.”

Kickoff for the AAC championship game — the first ever held in Memphis — is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. You’ll forgive longtime Tiger followers for calling it the biggest game in program history. Again.

Categories
Music Music Blog

Exclusive Video Premiere: Memphis Masters Series Celebrates the Bar-Kays

With so many classic albums of 1969 celebrating their half-century mark this year, it would be easy for music fans to sleep on an especially stellar LP reissued with extra care this month — and that would be a shame. The Bar-Kays’ Gotta Groove, originally released on Volt Records, a Stax subsidiary, was a watershed moment for Stax, for the group themselves, and for all things funky.

Besides helping to launch an approach to a harder-hitting funk/rock that would come to define the 1970s, the album was the result of the sheer tenacity and invention that kept Stax going. The label, having learned in late 1967 that Atlantic Records claimed ownership of the entire Stax catalog up to that point, was being reborn in a flurry of era-defining releases, celebrated by the double Soul Explosion album, which contained several hits generated by the newly restructured label in 1968.  Meanwhile, while the label lost one its greatest stars in the plane crash that claimed Otis Redding’s life, the Bar-Kays, who started out as the label’s youngest band in 1966, and enjoyed immediate success with their Soulfinger LP, lost most of their members in the same crash. But James Alexander and Ben Cauley, Jr., the only surviving Bar-Kays, forged ahead, and Gotta Groove was their shot across the bow in the name of rebirth, reinvention and survival.

This year, Craft Recordings launched a painstakingly-crafted reissue series, celebrating many of the works that marked the rebirth of Stax in the 1968-69 period. The select titles have been cut from their original analog tapes by Jeff Powell at Memphis’ Take Out Vinyl and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Memphis Record Pressing, making this a labor of love by some world-class local establishments.

JD Reager

Jeff Powell

Along with the records, Craft has created The Memphis Masters—a limited video series celebrating the reissued albums and showcasing Stax’s enduring musical legacy, as well as its influence on Memphis, TN. Created in partnership with Memphis Record Pressing and Memphis Tourism, and directed by Andrew Trent Fleming of TheFilmJerk Media, the multi-part series was shot in several locations around the city, including Sam Phillips Recording Service, Royal Studios and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

Each episode—available on YouTube—will revolve around an album or collection from a singular artist or group on Stax’s roster, starting with Melting Pot from Booker T. & the M.G.’s. Other titles covered include Home, from husband-and-wife songwriting duo Delaney & Bonnie, Who’s Making Love from Johnnie Taylor and Victim of the Joke?…An Opera from acclaimed producer and songwriter David Porter. The Staple Singers will also be honored with a deluxe, seven-LP box set, Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection, available in early 2020. The majority of the single albums were recently released on November 1st, while LPs from Porter and Taylor will be reissued on December 6th.

The Bar-Kays today

And today, The Memphis Flyer is proud to announce Episode Two in The Memphis Masters series, celebrating Gotta Groove by The Bar-Kays, It’s a rare deep dive into the making of an era-defining work, with commentary by artists young and old on its lasting influence. Watch here to see how the album was created, literally from the ashes of the tragedy that claimed the lives of so many, and amidst the turmoil surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Then, get out to Record Store Day and get yourself a copy.

Exclusive Video Premiere: Memphis Masters Series Celebrates the Bar-Kays

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall to Clippers at Home in 5th Straight Loss

The Grizzlies dropped another excruciatingly close game to a Western Conference contender. Wednesday’s 121-119 loss to the Clippers extends the team’s current losing streak to a season-high five games and marks the 4th consecutive loss on their home court. There were some clear stand-out performances from individual players, but once again the Grizzlies blew a double-digit lead with sloppy play, and ultimately, the game in the final moments.

Death, Taxes, and the Grizzlies Unable to Closeout a Game
This seems to be one of the themes of the season: an inability to put together four consistent quarters of basketball. A team in the early stages of the sort of scorched-earth rebuilding process that Memphis is currently undergoing should almost be expected not to be very good. However, there is still room for both criticism and praise regarding the outcomes along the way. What makes these losses so frustrating is the carelessness that leads to them.

Jonas Valanciunas was the clear player of the game for the Grizzlies, with a season-high 30 points and a season-best 16 rebounds. Ja Morant also stood out with his second consecutive double-double, scoring 20 points and racking up 11 assists, and 14 of those 20 points in the 4th quarter.

Per Grizzlies PR: “The Grizzlies entered the game with the league’s best three-point field goal percentage over the last three weeks (.408 since Nov. 6). The team continued its hot streak from long range, shooting 39.3 percent (11-of-28) from beyond the arc.” Jonas Valanciunas

What They Said – Coach Taylor Jenkins


On tonight’s game:

“Heck of an effort by our guys, proud of them especially after how we played in Indiana. Defense wasn’t there in the first quarter, giving up 35 points, but then holding them under 30 … which was a trend of ours, giving up a lot of 30-point quarters in recent games. Our guys stuck with it; I was proud of them on how they came out being down at four at half time. Take, I think on a 7-0 run, take a three-point lead.

These are those moments where we are getting better, withstand some runs against a heck of a team and score 119 points against currently the best defense in the league. It’s those pivotal moments throughout the game, a couple of missed cues here and there on offense and one of our Achilles heels is just getting rebounds.

Same thing happened in the Lakers game. Anthony Davis gets a rebound uncontested, we have a chance, we give up two offensive rebounds on the last possession, and you are snake bit by it. We have to get better. I thought our urgency was great to start for most of the game, coming into the game it was a heck of a game. Credit the Clippers for coming up with some big plays, some big threes and rebounding down the stretch. We have to get better from it and we have to know that this stuff is important for us to move forward and get better from it.”

On the last play, when the Grizzlies had the ball with 2.3 seconds left, and a chance to tie:

“So, we were hoping to get a defender to fall asleep with his [Jaren Jackson Jr.’s] cut to the rim and then kind of snap him out into a corner three, and if that wasn’t open Solo [Solomon Hill] was going to be open at the top of the key. I thought we set a good screen, they did a great job getting through, kind of put him off balance, which put him in a tough spot. That is a play we have worked on. Credit to the Clippers on taking that away.” 

 

What They Said – Jaren Jackson Jr.

On finding the balance of shooting threes and playing down low:
“I just want to take the right shot at the right time and take what the defense gives me. Team-to-team, they are going to play me differently. They’re going to close out on certain shooters more so I’m just taking what they are giving me.” 

On having the big plays called for him at the end of the game:
“I have to do better with it. Two straight times I didn’t get it done. Once I get it done, I’ll probably have a better reaction to it. I’m happy they go to me, but I’ve got to finish the job for them.” 

On what happened during the last sequence of the game, when the Grizzlies had the ball ant a chance to tie with 2.3 seconds left. “When I came off, I caught it and he kind of took up the space when I gave him time as I was turning around. I probably turned around too slowly. I should have gotten a better look at it. That’s on me. I need to be a little smarter with turning and reading them (the defense). If they were switching, I could have come off in a different way or quicker. Whatever it is, I didn’t do it.”  The Grizzlies return to FedExForum on Friday, November 29th to once again face off against Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz.


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Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

#16 Tigers 83, N.C. State 78

The Tigers withstood a second-half comeback by North Carolina State Thursday afternoon in Brooklyn — at the Barclays Center Classic — to improve to 6-1 on the season (and 4-0 since star freshman James Wiseman began a 12-game suspension mandated by the NCAA). Boogie Ellis scored 17 first-half points (on his way to 21) to help Memphis take a 16-point lead (55-39) at halftime.

After falling behind by 20 points early in the second half, the Wolfpack closed within three (75-72) before the Tigers regained their touch on the offensive end. D.J. Jeffries hit a key shot in the closing minutes, one of only two field goals for a player starting in the absence of Lester Quinones, who missed his first game with broken bones in his right hand. Precious Achiuwa scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Tyler Harris scored 14 points (hitting all three of his shots from three-point range) to help Memphis win its second straight game over a “Power 5” opponent.

Markell Johnson led the Wolfpack (5-2) with 22 points.

The Tigers shot 52 percent from the field and hit eight of 12 shots from long range. They commanded the glass as well, pulling down 35 rebounds to the Wolfpack’s 21.

Memphis has now completed more than half of its nonconference schedule. The Tigers return to FedExForum Tuesday night to host Bradley. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Categories
Cover Feature News

Gift Memphis: Think Local this Season — Here Are Some Ideas

Do you really want to fight Black Friday crowds and support big-box retailers when we’ve got tons of cool, affordable, locally made and sold gifts available throughout the city? We didn’t think so. To help you tick some items off your shopping list, we’ve compiled a few hyper-local options for you — for an Alternative Black Friday, if you will — with favorite shops, items, makers, and more, to cover even the hardest-to-buy-for folks.

COOPER-YOUNG HAUL

Before you hit that “place your order” button, remember Amazon paid no federal taxes last year, its billionaire founder had the gall to cut health-care benefits for some employees this year, and — most importantly — Amazon is not Memphis AF (like, at all).

Cooper-Young is, in fact, Memphis AF. The neighborhood’s mix of restaurants and shops makes for a perfect, big-city shopping experience. Gleam in the season’s glow as you hustle your holiday gift bags across Cooper-Young’s new rainbow-pride crosswalk.

Plan your shopping spree for Saturday, November 30th. That’s Small Business Saturday, and some C-Y businesses have teamed up for a day of giveaways, drawings, and special deals and discounts. Ten lucky winners will go home with gift boxes worth more than $100 each. Need some C-Y gift ideas? We did some scouting for you. — Toby Sells

Fox + Cat Vintage: Forget fast fashion. This fashion boutique offers a lovingly curated closet of styles and tastes from a 1920s-era flapper girl hat ($150) to an ’80s-style jean jacket with a collection of amazing patches ($112).

Toby Sells

Fox + Cat Vintage

Young Avenue Deli: Barbecue is Memphis’ civic dish. If it had one, the Deli’s french fries might be the culinary standard for Midtown. I took two orders to a holiday potluck once. Folks laughed, but nary a fry was left. And let’s not even talk about those cheese sticks. Walls of craft beer, one-of-a-kind sandwiches, wings … get a gift card for anyone on your list.

Grivet Outdoors: This new outdoor shop has what Memphis needs to run, hike, climb, hunt, fish, or just about anything else. Don’t have an outdoorsy type on your list this year? How about someone who has to go outside in the wet Memphis winter? Try the waterproof duck boots from Sorel (men’s, $155; women’s, $120).

901 Comics: Thanks to a zillion Marvel movies, we know one thing: We’re all comic book nerds. 901 Comics has walls full of superheroes you know, like Batman and Iron Man, and some you might not know, like Bloodshot and Count Crowley. But the store has more than books. Think action figures, figurines, posters, games, shirts, masks, and more. Also, check out the R2-D2 toaster ($34) or the Death Star cheese board ($45) for the food geek in your life.

Toby Sells

901 Comics

Buff City Soap: Give your morning routine a local upgrade: Buff City Soap opened in Cooper-Young last year. All of the products are made in-house. So when they offer a bar of soap called Midtown Phunk, they know what they’re talking about. But it ain’t all bath bombs and body butters. Get that unruly scruff under control with Ferocious Beast beard oil ($15) or Shave and a Haircut beard balm ($15).

Toby Sells

Buff City Soap

Cooper-Young Gallery & Gift Shop: It’s an art gallery. It’s a gift shop. It’s a creative workspace. Sometimes the owners call it the “Cute Shop.” It all makes sense when you walk inside. Want to paint Ruth Bader Ginsberg by numbers? The kit will set you back $22. Pick up some stocking-stuffers like 38104-ever magnets ($3) or mugs ($15). There’s way more to discover in this perfectly eclectic, satisfyingly tidy little shop.

Burke’s Books: The Burke’s holiday window is a C-Y tradition. Neighbors make annual treks just to see what yuletide treat awaits them there. Inside the store is a book-lover’s treat year ’round — new releases, photo books, kids books, and more. Burke’s specializes in rare and collectible books, like a nice leather-bound copy of Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls ($18).

VINTAGE FINDS

For 35 years, Flashback has been the vintage place to go. Shoppers can find oodles of kitschy, cheesy delights — items of perfect pop culture, things so bad they’re good (ugly Christmas sweaters), designs you’d never have in your house until you realize you have to have them. But mostly you’ll find wondrous objects of beauty and rarity. Some are new, and many wear their age remarkably well: lovely backlit lithophane porcelains, frequently tasteful glassware and dishes, jewelry, singular shoes and clothing, including rude socks. There are Danish mobiles and bookmarks made from filmstrips (The Wizard of Oz is very popular). Elvii are everywhere.

Jon W. Sparks

Flashback

Proprietor Millett Vance has an eye for items that are just right, for yourself or as gifts for your wide range of friends and family. And she knows the price point you’re looking for. “Everyone looks for presents for people, and they end up buying something for themselves.”

Flashback is at 2304 Central, with the seated mannequin and pink flamingos al fresco. 272-2304. flashbackmemphis.com.

— Jon W. Sparks

SILVER BELLS

In her days at Memphis College of Art, Tootsie Bell wasn’t particularly thinking about becoming a silversmith. She needed a job, and a friend at a jewelry store hooked her up. She loves woodworking and sculpture as well, particularly when it’s at a bigger scale than the usual silver projects she does daily. That got her some commissions for public art, which you can see around town. But go into her shop — she’s been at it for 24 years — and look at the work on display. You’ll see a wonderful attention to detail. If you really want to take it to the next level, have her make some jewelry for you.

Tootsie Bell Silversmith

“My work, whether it’s large or small, has a theme to it,” Bell says. “I like there to be a meaning or a narrative behind it. When I work with customers, I like to get a background, a story of either the person that I’m making the piece for or something like that.”

And if you have a hankering to create some of your own baubles, she can help with that, too. She offers classes on how to craft a piece of jewelry. At present, she teaches four students at a time. “I help them come up with what they want to make and assist when I need to,” Bell says. “You make it and take it home.” When the new year gets underway, she’ll have more classes to accommodate bigger projects. She also offers gift cards, so you can let the giftee choose how they want to take the classes.

Tootsie Bell Silversmith is at 4726 Poplar. 763-4049. quenchstudiomemphis.com. — JWS

BLACK LODGE AND CHILL

After the temperature drops and the hyper-social holiday season winds down, your loved ones are going to want to spend some time quality time in their living room this winter.

If you’re looking for gifts to help you chill, the first place to go is Black Lodge. The independent video store that graced Cooper-Young for 14 years has recently reopened in a new space in Crosstown — and not a moment too soon. The Netflix-led streaming video revolution that put video stores out of business in the last decade is rapidly becoming fragmented and expensive. With the launch of Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV (to name a few), you have to subscribe to multiple services to get what you want. That’s where the Lodge comes in. Its selection of almost 30,000 titles dwarfs Netflix, and the knowledgeable staff will help you discover new movies and TV shows you may have overlooked. Gift recipients can use their Black Lodge gift cards to pay for the $10 per month membership or to snag something from the ever-expanding lineup of cool Lodge merch.

Justin Fox Burks

If reading is more your friend’s speed, Two Rivers Bookstore has a curated selection of science-fiction and fantasy books, such as Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the acclaimed sequel to the author’s dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale. Two Rivers also carries local art and jewelry, and if your gift target is into tabletop role-playing games, you can get Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks and dice bags made in-store.

For the “chill” part, the place to go is Wizard’s. The Midtown smoke shop now carries six brands and 13 flavors of CBD flower for your stress-relief needs. To really take the edge off healthily, a Pax 3 or Firefly flower vaporizer will get you there without the cough and smell. Or you can go whole-hog and invest in the newest of the pioneering Volcano vaporizer line.

Wizard’s

Then again, maybe your loved one’s “chill” is more euphemistic. In that case, a visit to Coco & Lola’s lingerie shop is in order. They are the exclusive Memphis home to the Kilo Brava line of teddies, bustiers, and exquisite two- and three-piece lace bra and panty sets.

You won’t regret it when you see your loved one slip into a silk kimono, pop in a Blu-Ray, hit the vape, and let the magic happen. — Chris McCoy

WORK IT

My sister said she had a surprise for me. My only instructions: wear athletic clothes and show up to the provided address at a certain time. I pulled up to a small building on Flicker Street. It was Recess 901, a local gym that bills itself as providing a “diverse, curated fitness experience.” Inside, I was met by Nick Davis, one of the instructors. My surprise was a one-on-one, 30-minute boxing class with him. With his guidance, I hooked and jabbed my way through the session. Beginning in December, Davis will lead small-group boxing classes through a program called Go Boxing & Fitness. The eight-person sessions, featuring boxing training and bodyweight exercises, are designed to enhance one’s mental and physical state.

Justin Fox Burks

Recess 901

Davis believes the small-group format is optimal for boxing and brings out “healthy, natural competition. Go Boxing & Fitness not only changes your body,” he says. “It changes your mind, your attitude, and your mood.”

There are plenty of gifts like this one around town for the fitness junkies, as well as the outdoor lovers, in your life. For the runners, Fleet Feet has gear and accessories at all price points. From hoodies for cold days to reflective vests for night running to the best running shoe, it’s all there. Or help your loved ones reach new heights at Highpoint Rock Climbing and Fitness. The gym offers gift cards, so you can give the gift of bouldering and belaying. Finally, do you know anyone in need of a kayak, tent, or bike? Outdoors Inc. has everything for the outdoor adventurers on your list. — Maya Smith

UNUSUAL MERCH

For many musicians, the travails of touring can leave you in the lurch, unless you’re crafty with unorthodox merch. Music fans need only stroll over to the merchandise table. The expeditionary noise band Nonconnah, for example, can always make up for a low door take by selling jars of homemade jam or pickles. If they shared a bill with Neighborhood Texture Jam (NTJ), who’ve been known to shower the audience with Slim Jims, you could have a full meal. Then wash it down when seeing Seance Fiction, from Florence, Alabama, who have offered packets of powdered beverage mix in a Dixie cup sporting the words, “Drink the Kool Aid! Join the Cult!”

For all your romantic needs, merch of a more intimate nature can be had. The Rhythm Hounds, Fuck (the band), and NTJ have all offered underwear emblazoned with the group’s logo or name, though in the latter case, it was adult diapers. But Fuck, long hailed as kings of wacky merch, took intimate fandom to a new level by getting inside your eyelids: a camera flash, masked with a stencil of the band name, could be set off in your face, thus burning the word into your retina for a good 10 minutes. Oh, joy!

Some unorthodox merch actually honors the music. When the Lost Sounds were just another struggling combo in need of a deal, Alicja Trout would hand-paint CD-Rs of their albums, each one unique (and highly collectable now). And for those who love the lyrics of Cory Branan, he’ll write them out by hand on acid/lignin-free archival paper. One fan framed the words to his “Sour Mash” alongside two Prohibition-era prescriptions for bourbon.

Alicja Trout handpainted CD

So when you’re out at a show, be sure to peruse the merch table, perchance to discover that perfect gift for the music fan who has everything. — Alex Greene

PETS, ART, & ‘CUE

Personally, I love shopping for friends and family, so when they tell me they have everything they need, I take it as a challenge. It’s fun to defy your giftee’s expectations and give someone something nice that they wouldn’t normally get for themselves, doubly so when you’re supporting a local business with your purchasing power. So let’s get started.

Sure, the pet supply store Hollywood Feed has grown big enough to take a St. Bernard-sized bite out of the national market, but the first Hollywood Feed opened on Hollywood and Chelsea in Memphis in the ’50s, and the company still keeps its headquarters here. That’s local enough for me. And because even the most selfless or Spartan family members will at least pamper their pets, the store is a great place to shop for people who are, well, hard to shop for.

Justin Fox Burks

Hollywood Feed

What’s more, the friendly folks at Hollywood Feed are knowledgeable and understanding. A month ago, when, after adopting a kitten, I wandered inside in a daze, my head buzzing with questions about litter (clumping? non-clumping?) and food (grain-free or not?), the staff patiently walked me through the ins and outs of what I needed to keep my newly rescued furry friend safe and satisfied. Compared to that, shopping for my family’s fur-babies is a varitible romp in the puppy park. I just scoop up some dog toys and handmade treats from the animal-safe bakery, and I can mark a few folks off my list.

When it comes to local, Art Center knows what’s up. The full-service art supply store opened in 1974 and has plenty of experience helping Memphians with their custom framing, paints, charcoals, decoupage, and more. And since the owners require their employees to have a strong background in art, says general manager Jimmy Sanders, the staff is qualified to help even the most hapless of customers. Their prices span the spectrum, too, so you can stuff a stocking without unstuffing your wallet, or spoil your little Michelangelo in training to your heart’s content. Next!

My brother-in-law lives in Middle Tennessee, and he loves to cook. So I’ve been buying him barbecue sauce and dry seasoning every Christmas for seven years because, while you can get decent barbecue fixings out east, you can’t get Memphis barbecue sauce anywhere else.

Though I mix up which sauce I buy from year to year, The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison has been winning awards for 32 years, with a 50-year-old sauce recipe that dates back to Brady & Lil’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant, making it a shoo-in for my brother-in-law’s stocking.

Justin Fox Burks

The Bar-B-Q Shop

For bonus points, round out your holiday haul with something seasonably sessionable to sip from one of the local breweries, some coffee from one of the Bluff City’s local roasters, a little something to nibble from The Peanut Shoppe at 24 S. Main, and some candles from Maggie’s Pharm.

Boom! You’ve got yourself a very Memphis holiday basket.

— Jesse Davis

TREASURE HUNT

I’ve always been a big fan of flea markets and arts festivals — you just never know what types of one-of-a-kind treasures you’ll find. The hunt is where the excitement lies, and it’s even more exciting when you’re directly supporting local creators.

This season, WinterArts brings a bit of that thrill with a showcase of functional and decorative work from nearly 50 of the region’s top artists, including several based right here in Memphis: Dorothy Northern (jeweler); Bryan Blankenship, Lisa Hudson, Becky Ziemer, and David James Johnson (ceramics); Felcitas Sloves, (fiber: weaving); Cheryl Hazelton (wood: marquetry); and others.

WinterArts

Treasure hunters will find handmade work crafted in glass, metal, wood, fiber, and clay. Think beautiful cuff bracelets, vases, wooden trinket boxes, ornaments, and more. Participating artists will have video at their booths, providing visitors virtual demonstrations of their creation process.

WinterArts

WinterArts is presented by ArtWorks Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to help artists grow and thrive. In its 11th year, WinterArts runs November 30th through December 24th at 888 White Station (between Poplar and Park, next to Bed Bath & Beyond). Browse the wares for unique gifts Mondays-Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. — Shara Clark

ELVIS SOCKS

In “Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me,” Elvis sings, “Fill my sock with candy.” Now, you can fill Elvis socks with — your feet. Lansky Bros. at The Peabody sells socks with Elvis’ likeness on them. Elvis playing guitar. Elvis in his “Jailhouse Rock” pose. You even can get black, pink, and white socks — the argyle type Elvis wore in some of his 1950s photos. He probably bought those socks at Lanksy back in the day.

Justin Fox Burks

Lansky Bros.

The black socks with the gold lightning bolt on them are their biggest sellers, says owner Hal Lansky. They’re inscribed with “TCB.”

“If you’re an Elvis fan, you’ll know what it means,” Lansky says. “Even if you’re not, you will.”

The socks, which are very comfortable, sell for $25 and $27.50. They’re fit for a king. Or the King. “Elvis is still the King,” Lansky says. “You know that.”

After the lucky gift recipient wears these Elvis socks, he’ll probably decide to hang up all his other socks and stick with these. He might want a complete selection of Elvis socks. Then he can have a blue Christmas, a green Christmas, an orange Christmas, a red Christmas — you name it. These socks come in various colors.

— Michael Donahue

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

Trail Markers

Last Sunday, I found myself confronted with a beautiful sunny afternoon and no obligation to do anything but enjoy it. The ground was still too wet to mow/mulch that layer of leaves covering my front yard. Darn it. My wife was staring at legal work in the den. My best golfing buddy was elsewhere. I’ve lost all interest in pro football. What to do? It was a blue-sky day, temps in the mid-50s. Perfect for a little exercise and recreation. I decided to walk nine holes at good ol’ Overton Park.

The round started out well. I made a couple of pars, then set off on the trail through the deep woods between holes number two and three. Imagine my surprise to find a massive(!) tree had fallen and obliterated the path and surrounding area, blocking all progress. Then imagine the weird sight of a man carrying a golf bag through a thick forest, climbing over logs, pushing through underbrush, looking for a way to the next tee box. Fore! Only in Memphis, I thought. But then I remembered, “Hey, I can write about this.” Which is how a lot of my thought patterns go, to be honest.

Links at Overton Park clubhouse

So, I ended up being thankful for the misadventure, for a new perspective on golf, and for the opportunity to forge a new trail. And since it’s Thanksgiving week, a time when giving thanks is the whole point, please indulge me while I do just that.

I’m a lucky man. I’m thankful for my health (knock on wood) and for my family and my friends here in Memphis — and, well, all over. If you live on the planet as long as I have, you leave a trail. And not just in the woods at Overton Park.

I’m thankful for this job — for the nearly 20 years and the 1,000 or so issues of the Flyer that have had my name atop the masthead as editor. That’s a good run in this business. Or any business, for that matter. I’m thankful to have been blessed to work with so many talented, smart, funny, loveable folks through the years. I’m even thankful for the one or two jerks — you know, for contrast.

I’m thankful for the usual motley ensemble of family and friends that will come together Thursday at our house to enjoy a dinner we all create. I’m thankful for our dining room table’s extra leaves, so we can all sit and toast each others’ health and taste each others’ food and offer gratitude for this annual gathering of kindred souls.

I’m grateful for my wife, Tatine, who defends the defenseless in court every day and who makes her mysterious sweet potato “yellow mush” for Thanksgiving dinner, and completes my life.

I’m thankful for my daughter, Mary, who maintains our silly tradition of making Paula Deen’s ridiculous green bean casserole, year after year, and for her husband, Richard, who brings his terrible jokes; for Jackie and Jahn, whose hair-colors change with each visit, and who bring mountains of cheese for their spectacular macaroni; for my stepson, Roman, just graduating from college, and for his dad, Kevin, who brings his famous scalloped potatoes from Little Rock; for our friend John, who provides moist stuffing and dry wit; and for our friend Harrell, who brings his guitar, tales of Beale Street, and a bottle of champagne.

I’m grateful for my too-seldom-seen siblings in New Mexico and Missouri and Minnesota; for my son Andrew in New York (or on the road, making his music); for my stepdaughter Agatha and her husband, Alex, in Brooklyn, and for their beautiful new twin boys, who’ve brought Tatine and me into the world of grandparenting; and for our wonderful French relations in Marseille, whose family I had the good fortune to marry into. 

And speaking of the French, I’m grateful to them and to the Californians who make the wine we drink with dinner; and to the Kentuckians who smoke the big turkey my mother always sends us, even in her 95th year.

Most of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to enjoy another Thanksgiving, another year around the sun, another marker on the trail of this life we’re all walking together.

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

While watching the House impeachment hearings, I had a clarifying insight. Like many people, I was having trouble understanding how Republican lawmakers like Devin Nunes could live with themselves. Since they had the smarts to get elected to national public office, I assume they’re not idiots. Since they have eyes and ears, I assume they could see and hear witness after witness testify that Donald Trump had sold out the country for his perceived personal interest, detailing how he had abused the powers our system gives the president to twist foreign policy into extortion. And yet, these people willingly parroted conspiracy theories based on Russian propaganda. I understand playing for your team. What I don’t understand is putting team before country and sacrificing your integrity on the altar of Trump.

What I came to realize was this: They — and the Fox News junkies who support them — think this is all a cynical power play because they cannot conceive of anything else. These are people who, for four years, pressed a contrived investigation into Hillary Clinton’s involvement in the 2012 Benghazi incident. They assume, since their own big investigation was a cynical ploy to trash a political opponent for propaganda fodder, that all congressional investigations are also cynical ploys. They know in their heart of hearts that they lack integrity, so they cannot admit that anyone else could possibly have integrity. What good is integrity, anyway? It’s obviously only a hindrance to making money and accumulating power.

This is where Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) finds himself at the beginning of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. We meet Lloyd accepting the National Magazine Award for an investigative piece he did for Esquire. Lloyd has a beautiful and talented wife, Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson), and a brand-new baby. But he’s not a happy family man. At his sister Lorraine’s (Tammy Blanchard) wedding (“I love going to these every year,” he quips), he sees his estranged father, Jerry (Chris Cooper), and the reunion turns into a fistfight. The next day, sporting a hell of a black eye, he gets a new assignment from his editor. Esquire is doing an issue on heroes, and Lloyd is to do a profile on children’s television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks).

Andrea is excited. She loves Mr. Rogers! Who doesn’t? But for Lloyd, used to locking horns with corruption and exposing liars, it seems like a demotion. His initial interview is delayed because Mr. Rogers is spending time with a Make-A-Wish kid, but all Lloyd can see is a privileged celebrity, a diva. He keeps questioning Fred Rogers, trying to find a crack in his saintly veneer. The most telling question he asks is, “How are you different from the character you play on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood?”

For Fred Rogers, this does not compute because he’s not playing a character. Who he is on the inside is exactly the person he appears to be on the outside. His entire life has been devoted to making that so. The only characters he plays are the puppets Daniel Tiger and King Friday XIII, which are more akin to expressions of different parts of his psyche than, say, what Tom Hanks is doing when he’s playing Mr. Rogers. But his eloquent attempt to demonstrate this to Lloyd goes terribly wrong, and the two men are stuck in a standoff: the cynic who can’t believe in honesty confronted with an honest man. Fortunately for Lloyd, this is not Mr. Rogers’ first rodeo. He’s seen, and defeated, cynicism many times before.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is based on the story of real-life Esquire writer Tom Junod, who credits his 1998 cover story “Can You Say … Hero?” with saving his life. In the hands of a director less skilled and empathetic than Marielle Heller, a film like this could easily spiral into the maudlin. But Heller, whose Diary of a Teenage Girl is one of the decades’ overlooked gems, executes brilliantly.

And then there’s Tom Hanks. How does a movie star with one of the world’s most recognizable faces disappear into the role of someone else with an instantly recognizable face? I saw it happen, and I still don’t have an answer. At this point, as a film critic and jaded magazine writer, I’m supposed to call Hanks’ performance Oscar bait. But that would be cynical of me, and after seeing A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, I think maybe I’ve been too cynical for too long.

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Be Thankful, Memphis

CREDIT: Tony Bosse | Dreamstime

At some point, it became a Thanksgiving tradition in my family to go around the table and have each of us say one thing we’re thankful for before eating dinner. Food, family, health, and a job are a few of the common answers. Like clockwork, my sister starts to get antsy when someone takes more than their allotted 30 seconds or has the audacity to mention more than one thing they are thankful for.

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Partly because of the sweet potato casserole my mom makes, but mostly because of the company it brings. For as long as I can remember, my family has spent the holiday with my uncle, aunt, and cousin from Nashville. My uncle, affectionately known as “Uncle Bubba,” was more or less the life of the party. He had stories and jokes for days. His jokes were mostly crude and hardly ever funny, but they never failed to fill the room with laughter. His presence was huge. And then in spring 2016, he passed away. He was sick, so we knew it was coming, but we didn’t expect it to come so soon.

The year he died, Thanksgiving was different. As we’d done in the years before, we went around the table and said what we were thankful for. We stumbled a little, searching our hearts for something to be grateful for while accepting that a person we love would never spend this day with us again.

The truth is, it can be hard to be thankful in the face of some things others are going through. The city in which we live has a lot of issues — crime, poverty, food deserts — to name three. These are real problems that by no means should be ignored, but Memphis is so much more than a poor city rife with crime. These things don’t define Memphis, and we shouldn’t let them diminish our gratitude for the unique city we call home. We still have a lot to be thankful for.

Here are just a few things — some big, some small — that Memphis has going for itself.

Development: Memphis has a slew of new developments in the works Downtown. One Beale, Union Row, and the recently announced Pinch District redevelopment are just a few. These projects mean more jobs for Memphians and more money for the local economy.

Sports: Even if you’re not a sports fan, I’m sure you know by now that the Memphis Tiger football team — 10-1 this season — is hot. Just as hot is Penny Hardaway’s Tiger basketball team (5-1, so far). Even with James Wiseman out until January, this Tigers team is special to watch and will likely do big things. And let’s not forget about Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. The rookie point guard is unbelievable on the court. His moves, his passes, his clutch shots. Wow.

Community organizers: Have you noticed the way Memphians rally behind other Memphians and for the causes they believe in? We saw it in the fight to take down the city’s Confederate statues and in those who rallied behind Manuel Duran, and we still see it in undeterred activists who show up time after time to rally for and against issue after issue. We see it in the hundreds of nonprofits serving the city. We see it on college campuses and on the streets. Memphians know how to stand up when it matters.

Transit: Memphis is slated to get its first Bus Rapid Transit line by 2024. The service will change the way people get from Downtown to the University of Memphis area. It’s not the solution to all of the city’s transit woes, but it’s a start, and we’ve needed a start for a long time. The city has also upped its transportation game with the growing number of shared mobility options. We’ve got bikes, we’ve got standing scooters, and now we even have scooters with seats.

Tony Bosse | Dreamstime

Thankful for good views and green spaces

Public spaces: From the Mississippi riverfront to Overton Park to Shelby Farms, the city is blessed with quality outdoor spaces. The goal should be for all neighborhoods to have access to clean, safe, green spaces like these, but let’s not take what we have for granted.

None of these things should detract from the fact that there is still much work to be done in Memphis. I’m not suggesting that we ignore all the problems and live in blissful ignorance, but every once in a while it’s good to take a step back and be thankful for what’s going in the right direction.

Maya Smith is a Flyer staff writer.

Categories
We Recommend We Recommend

Celebrate the Arts at Blackout Black Friday

CREDIT: Memetics

Art is the spice of life, and Memetics, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to fostering art in the community, wants to show off this idea on Friday at their artist showcase event Blackout Black Friday.

“Art challenges perception and sparks ideas, and creativity cultivates invention,” says Jamie Carpenter, founder and executive director of Memetics Memphis. “It’s only through a diverse lens that a community can prosper and grow.”

Memetics

Memetics

Multiple mediums of art will be included, with a musical lineup that features EDM DJ Brandon Thornburg and instrumentalist, composer, producer, and DJ Odd Wilson, along with visual artists like Jacob Platania, Ex Ossium, Brandon Hodges, and Phvntm Fuego displaying live, installation, and interactive arts. There will also be tarot card readings and a youth activities station.

While it’s an eclectic mix of arts, Carpenter says it’s important for the community to showcase their talents.

“Art brings us together,” she says. “It’s the human connection. It’s about community — finding a purpose beyond our individual selves.”

Memetics is hosting this event, along with bake sales and other similar events, to fund their 501(c) filing and to help them throw their next event.

“Our next production, in spring 2020, will focus on arts in local schools and will feature only area youths,” says Carpenter. “A school will be chosen at that show for our artists to create a mural.”

So as traditional holiday markets swamp your social media feeds, let Memetics show off what Memphis’ local arts community has to offer.

Blackout Black Friday, Hi Tone, Friday, November 29th, 7 p.m.-3 a.m., free.